intrinsic
adjective
/ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk/
belonging naturally; essential.
Our collection of 12 water-based wood dyes is in a range of mature shades that bring a level of atmosphere and depth to your work. They afford you a longer working time than alcohol-based stains and dyes, allowing you to move the colour around for perfect application and blend.
They sink deeply into the wood and preserve the appearance of the figure in the wood, releasing the hidden subtleties and enhancing medullary rays and ‘chatoyance’.
If you’re just getting started with colouring, then the sample box will be an excellent place to start. It contains 15ml of each of the 12 colours, which will give you a good idea of how they work.
You will learn that you use more of some of the colours than others. The most popular are the Black, Ruby, Flame and Honey.
When it’s time for a top-up, the 250ml individual bottles are your next stop. They have wipe-clean polypropylene labels and contain enough dye to colour many pieces.
Easy to apply using paper towel, brush, sponge, airbrush or any other method, you can let your imagination run wild – particularly with airbrush techniques. Try using an alcohol spray to create streaks, or use masking tape for a more art-deco feel.
For the absolute best results and depth of colour, use more than one coat, or add a black or earth undercoat for an even more dramatic effect.
When you’re done applying the colours and they are dry, please make sure you seal the piece properly. For the best surface, we recommend our wipe-on cellulose sanding sealer or Professional Matt Sealer Spray, but any good quality sealer will provide a suitable surface for your final finish.
Coloured pieces generally look better with a gloss finish. The shine refracts light and enhances the added colour and figure in the wood.
For the highest possible shine, use our Clear Gloss Lacquer or several coats of our food and toy safe Gloss Finishing Wax.
For the adventurous colourist, Intrinsic Colours can be mixed to create even more shades or thinned with water for a lighter shade.
Available in complete, smartly boxed sets of 15ml sample bottles and seasonally in 125ml bottles, the sets are a brilliant and affordable way to try them before taking the plunge with the full-size 250ml bottles. To find a stockist, you can click here. So that you know, not all stockists carry the colours yet. Please ask your local retailer to order some for you.
Colour Guide
Black
In several coats you can build up a deep, pure black shade.
Burnt Orange
A dark orange, on the orangey side of brown.. Similar to terracotta
Earth
A warm brown, the colour of drying mud. Sounds bad, but makes a great undercoat or accent colour.
Flame
A bright yellow-orange. Add luxurious fire by blending with Burnt Orange and Ruby.
Forest Green
Rich green, quite dark, a lot like Jade. A great accent colour and blends well with Straw and Honey.
Honey
A glorious yellow. Superb as a bold single colour or a ‘wash’ overcoat.
Midnight Blue
Deep blue with hint of purple. Add to quilted figure and catch the purple glint as you turn the piece.
Pear Green
A rich yellowy-green. Very pear-like, one of the brightest colours and mixes well with Stone Blue to create a luxury green.
Plum
Sumptuous Purple. Looks quite Royal, lending an air of expense to your work.
Ruby
A rich red, Ruby adds an opulent shade that blends well with Burnt Orange, Flame and Honey. For a really rich shade, use at least two coats.
Sky Blue
A fairly bright blue, that mixes magnificently with Midnight Blue and Plum. This shade was previously known as Stone Blue.
White
Perfect for whitewashing your work or turning the other colours a more pastel shade. Use with caution.
*Colours shown are for reference only. Accurate colour rendition may vary from device to device. It is recommended you test the colours before committing them to your work.
Lightfast? No colour is 100% lightfast. They will all fade in time. The pigment manufacturer has given me assurance that they are light fast for at least as long as a normal household paint. To increase the lifetime of the colours, keep finished pieces out of direct sunlight and consider using a UV filtered finishing oil underneath the final finish as an additional layer of protection.