A few months ago, I shared a Shou Sugi Ban wall hanging, and the response was huge. So many people asked how the colours were achieved. In this tutorial, Colouring Shou Sugi Ban: 8 Tested Ways to Add Vibrant Colour to Burnt Timber, you’ll see exactly how to prepare the wood, apply colour without blotches, and seal it so the grain glows. I also compare different products side by side, so you can pick the look you love.

When I posted the Shou Sugi Ban wall hanging, I mentioned the products I used, but there’s more to the story. The process isn’t as simple as adding a particular paint colour. A few factors affect the final colour—how it’s applied, how the wood is prepped, and how it’s sealed. I’m no expert on colouring Shou Sugi Ban, but I’m happy to share the products I used and how I used them.

How to add colour to Shou Sugi Ban

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Materials You’ll Need

• Shou Sugi Ban panels (already burnt and sanded)
• Spray bottle with clean water
• Soft sponges and foam brushes
• Lint-free cloths or old T-shirts (for wipe-back)
• Alcohol inks
• Acrylic paints
• Unicorn Spit stain & glaze
• Mica powder and pigment powder (assorted colours)
• Poster paint
• wood stains

How to prepare the wood

I am starting this step after the wood has already been burnt and sanded. Here is the tutorial if you missed it. The image below is how your wood should look after you have burnt and sanded it. The deeper you sand into the wood, the lighter the wood will become and the more vibrant the colour will be.   I like to have a mixture of both light and dark wood in my wall hangings because the results are more dramatic.

On my first test, I just poured some Unicorn spit onto the surface and spread it around with a foam brush. Big Mistake!

Even though I spread it straight away, the timber sucked in the pigment, and the first spot was grabbed. The blotch ruined the look, so I burnt and sanded it back.

Pre-wet the surface with a spray bottle. Mist until it’s evenly damp, then add the colour while it’s still wet.

Less is more with colour. Load a small amount of paint onto the sponge and glide it lightly over the surface, leaving some timber bare for contrast. The pre-wet surface lets the pigment travel. Let it sit for 3–5 minutes, then wipe it back with a dry cloth.

How you wipe the paint back changes the finish. Press harder in spots to lift more pigment and create a wider range of tones.

8 Ways to Colour Shou Sugi Ban (Side-by-Side Tests)

1) Alcohol Inks

I diluted a little ink in water and brushed it on with a foam sponge. The colours stayed vibrant and easy to control. Wipe-back gave soft transitions in the grain.

2) Acrylic Paint (Budget Tubes)

Cheap acrylic surprised me. The colours looked as bold as ink when thinned and applied to a pre-wetted surface. Great for value and range.

3) Unicorn SPiT Stain & Glaze

This gave stunning colour and was very easy to blend. It dries with a powdery cast, so you won’t see the true tone until you seal with an oil-based polyurethane or furniture oil. Once sealed, the colour pops. This was one of my top picks.

4) Unicorn SPiT + Mica Powder

I mixed a little mica for sparkle. The shimmer is subtle in photos but lovely in person. Once sealed, the sparkle shows through the grain.

5) Metallic Acrylic Paints

These acted differently on burnt timber. The final colour is split into two tones, almost like a patina. It’s interesting, but don’t expect the bottle colour to match the board.

6) Pigment Powder

I mixed half a teaspoon in water and brushed it on. The strength depends on the amount of powder you use. My sample was bold and saturated with great wipe-back control.

7) Poster Paint

Use this if you want softer, chalky tones. Even after two coats, the colour stayed light. It’s forgiving and easy to adjust.

8) Alcohol Ink + Mica Powder

This combo gave luminous colour with a gentle sparkle. Species and burn depth affect the final look, so test first.

Plain Wood, Wood Stain, and the Magic of Sealer

A plain burnt board can look a bit dull on camera, yet it can still make a striking project. Traditional wood stains looked flat until I added polyurethane.

The moment you seal, colours wake up. Oil-based products deepen the grain and create that “wet look”.

Combining Colours on One Board

I placed tiny drops of several colours on the sponge and dragged it along the grain. The blend felt organic and gave me a beautiful variety from edge to edge. I also tried alcohol ink on pallet wood. The dramatic grain took colour brilliantly.

Here’s the blended result—interesting and full of varied colour across the board. Next, I tested alcohol ink on pallet wood (dark blue below). Using the same burn method, the effect was dramatic, and the grain looked incredible. The final sample in this image used another cheap acrylic paint.

The Surprise Winner: Interior Wall Paint

My sister wanted her wall colour in a new hanging. I tested her interior wall paint on different timber offcuts. Each species took the same paint differently. I got a family of tones from one tin. It was an awesome, budget-friendly way to colour-match a room.

This wall hanging blends several timber species—mostly pine, knotty pine wall panelling, pallet wood, and a few mystery offcuts. I applied the same colour mix with the same pre-wet and wipe-back method to every piece, yet each board reacted differently, creating a rich spectrum of tones from a single formula. That’s the magic of Shou Sugi Ban: species, grain density, and burn depth all shift the final hue. If I’ve missed anything you’re curious about, please ask in the comments.

More shou sugi ban project ideas for you

I made this wooden gecko from a recycled piece of wood and a shou sugi ban finish.

Take your shou sugi ban wall art panels to the next level with this awesome groove effect. There are even more on my website; you can find them here.

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