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The most common techniques used to decorate wood are water-based, oil-based or mixed.

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Water-based techniques
The solutions that can be found in today's market are varied and adapt to one's tastes and needs. The most popular are the following:

- Hues. There are two types: liquid or powder. This is one of the easiest techniques in that you can buy the exact colour you require. You apply the hue with a brush and its main handicap is that you can only give a single hand. Once the hue has dried, you sandpaper the surface with a fine sandpaper, clean it with chamois and give it as many hands of primer as it needs. The final step is to give it a layer of wax and polish it, or else matt varnish it to protect the wood. Later, it is possible to paint on patterns using oil or acrylic-based paints.

- Stripping. This process is very simple: sandpaper the wood, add a layer of primer, clean and apply two hands of acrylic paint of your chosen colour. Once dried, sandpaper and add two more hands acrylic paint of another colour. Next, sandpaper once more with soapy water to create a streaky effect. Finally, add varnish and decoration with fine acrylics or oil-based paints.

- Stencils. Apply the paint via a stencil that you can make yourself or, even easier, buy from a specialised store. Then, all you need do is place it on the object you wish to decorate and paint in the gaps with your chosen colour. You can then give it a layer of varnish to protect the colour.

- Sponges. This is one of the most original and simple techniques: you decorate the wood by tapping it gently with a wet natural sponge that has been dipped into the paint. It goes without saying that you must first prepare the wood with a layer of background paint and, afterwards, give it a final layer of varnish.

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Oil-based techniques
The most common techniques are:

- With a sponge. As in the previous technique, but using oil-based paints. The surface is prepared by using a fine sandpaper and then applying two hands of satin enamel of your chosen colour. The oil's colour is mixed with a Glaze-type varnish to dilute the colours and make the paint dry faster. You can apply it directly with gentle taps or painting on the undercoat with a brush and then the next layer with a sponge.

- With cloths, plastics or silk paper. The preparation is the same as the process above. The oils can be applied roughly and then spread out using cloths, plastics or silk paper. The aim is to give the wood a marble effect. Leave to dry and varnish.

- With a comb. The preparation is the same as the processes above. Then apply the colour by dragging a hard-toothed comb across the surface several times in the same direction.

- The bleached effect. Use this technique with highly grained wood. Mix transparent varnish, turpentine and oil-based paint. Apply using a wide brush in the direction of the grain and later spread with a cloth, again in the direction of the grain.

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Mixed techniques
Techniques that use both water and oil-based processes.

- The mottled effect. First dye the wood with a water-based hue in your chosen colour. Then apply several layers of primer, sandpapering the surface between layers. Once dried, add the oil-based paint, with its colour diluted in turpentine, and rub with silk paper to achieve a mottled effect. Once dried, apply primer again, sandpaper and finally decorate with acrylic paints or using stencils.

- The patina effect. The aim of this technique is to achieve an aged look through two methods: applying a mixture of polish and wax or another mixture of wax, turpentine and a powdered pigment of your chosen colour. In both cases apply with a soft brush and wipe off the excess with a cloth.