Wood Stain?

[Bill21]

I’m interested in bright colours and have just watched a YouTube video on using Rit dyes. They seem to work very well so I’ve just ordered some of the powdered stuff to try in Scarlet and Denim Blue.

[BrianH]

the probable downside with using water based stuff is that it will raise the grain and upset your already nicely sanded finish. Might be worth wetting the piece after initial sanding, sand again to remove the raised grain before you start colouring.
or, if you are feeling adventurous......
Stain with a dark colour to raise the grain sand back quite heavily before colouring again with a lighter shade. Unfortunately this doesn't work with Chestnut stains because they contain fillers which just block up the abrasive.   
Its also worth mentioning that small areas can be coloured using permanent markers.
Something else to try is dipping a finger into paste wax, fingerprint onto the wood before colouring. When the colour is dry a hefty dose of wiping will remove the wax and its colourful coat leaving a, hopefully, agreeable hit and miss finish.
Rather than use an air brush seek out an artists diffuser [which is basically a mouth operated air brush] with practise all kinds of differing textures and effects can be achieved by blowing differently and from different distances. Far cheaper too!
And my strangest bit of advice?
Don't over-practice or over-think it.... just go for it. If you remain open minded about your destination you wont kick yourself no matter where your journey takes you.
Tarra
Brian

[Bill21]

I have to agree about water based stains Brian, that’s why all mine are Spirit Stains.  I’m going over to the dark side though to give it a try.

[BrianH]

Don't forget your lifejacket, Bill.
Best of luck with it
Brian

[Paul Hannaby]

I use spirit dyes a lot and find that even coverage is best achieved by using an airbrush to apply.  If that isn't an option, apply the stain/dye with one cloth/sponge/brush and wipe away any excess immediately with another one. Sometimes, wetting the cloth/pad used to remove the excess with whatever solvent is the main component of the dye can aid with removal of the excess to avoid patches.

I used to use fabric dyes and silk paints and still sometimes use water based stains such as Van Dyke crystals and found they all work but as they are water based, they tend to raise the grain. Pre-wetting and sanding back is advisable to ensure the second application of water (in the dye) isn't going to raise the grain again.

Paints and colour washes are different to dyes - they contain solid pigments *whereas the dyes and stains are generally transparent) and application of enough paint will obscure the wood beneath it. Nothing wrong with that if that's what you intend but be aware of the difference.

[Bill21]

This is the type of effect I’m after. Stained blue but grain clearly visible.