Satinwood, with the one exception of holly, is one of the easiest of all woods to imitate. There are few markings in it and next to nothing in veining.

Mottling of no great prominence by their depths of coloring are the only markings.

The wood varies somewhat in the depth of its tone from a light to a medium tone of buff.

The background will vary from a very light buff to a darker shade of the same.

As said before the graining consists of mottling which are not very prominent, therefore the graining color, which is made up from raw sienna and burnt umber in glaze reduced to less intensity by white, should be put on thinly with a sponge and blended so that it shows no feathering.

The background is a mix of white and a pale chrome yellow.

The graining color,  is a mixture of raw sienna, with a very small quantity of Indian red.

Cover the panel with clear glaze and color  and proceed to form the feather with a sponge, in the same manner as mahogany, but keeping it smaller and finer than in that wood.

A soft sponge is then drawn down the panel in rather broad streaks to break the even edge of the dark line.

When the work has been softened with the badger softener, it is grained over the feather, in the same manner as mahogany. The character of satin-wood may be described as a composition between maple and mahogany;- the modeling is that of maple, the feather that of mahogany.