Colouring in

[fe22ari]

Saw a video on YouTube, some guy using artist oil paint to colour the wood smudged about with white spirit. Anyone tried this?

[Sonic Mountain]

I considered it, however artists oil paint takes months or even years to properly harden. You would also need to test clears to go over it. Most things I've used in my ~25 years as an 'artist' end up crazing or cracking eventually. Thinning it down would probably help, but you'd need to run some tests before trying it on a guitar.

[JohnH]

I’d also thought about it (although I was going to use etching inks, but they’re much the same) but decided it wasn’t even really worth testing for the same reasons Sonic cited. Having said that, if you have the time to test then I think it would be an worthwhile experiment, and I’d follow it with interest.

[Simon Barden]

I'm of the opinion that if you want a work of art to hang on the wall, then use artists paints. If you want a guitar/bass that you can use, use one of the standard stains or finishes that we know works.