Color for Live tree

[Ashbys]

Colin
Have you ever used watercolor, on any of the live tree carvings? I was extreamly tempted today to add a color tint to a carving I just finished, but considering it is still a live tree I was concerned that the color would spread.
So I am looking for information or opinion.
Thanks
Ash

[wade clark]

Ash,
You may have to take up tattooing to color those live faces! Great work!
Wade

[Colin-Partridge]

Ash sorry I cant help you would you believe of all those tree carvings I have done I have never painted one. I would think that the tree's sap would discolor the paint and the UV rays would also do a job on it. All of my tree carvings require re-staining after a few years so I would think that paint would require more as it doesnt penetrate the wood.
Colin

[Ashbys]

Colin,

I thought the same thing, but as I did the Leprechun, he just seemed to scream to add color. So it was just a thought, but my old memory cells remembered the old school days when we changed the color of leaves by adding dye to the water. So no color was added , but I think I will do some testing on a couple of small trees I have in the yard.

Thanks
Ash

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

there was a site, last year I think, they were selling wood(s) of all different colors and the color was actually in the wood, if I remember right (which I won't swear to) they were injecting the trees with dye and when they cut them they had the color..have no idea what key word to tell you to even start looking for that site unless its something basic like colored woods? Point is, whatever they used, did color the whole tree, might work on small areas?

[Ashbys]

Will, look it up Hi-Ho Thanks!

Ash