Samples. Leitz Summicron 50mm DR

I have begun making samples of the Trompe-l'oeil effect I'm seeking on the side and front panels of a blanket chest.  This is new territory for me: using the figure and color of different woods to deceive the eye into perceiving a flat panel as being three-dimensional.  The first test is whether the effect "reads".  Then there is the choice of woods.  I started off with two different species of spruce, Sitka and Engelmann, but the lines of the annular rings are so close-spaced, that the effect is too subtle.  Then I tried white oak and walnut.  This is much more successful, but I'm not happy with the colors.  I've just gotten off the phone with the rep at a wonderful little company which sells veneer in Upstate New York.  I've dealt with them for years. He is sending samples of several "exotic” woods, all cut on the quarter to give a similar linear figure.  As tropical hardwoods have become harder and harder to source, the veneer manufacturers have turned to common woods which have been dyed to resemble the exotics.  Truthfully, I feel more comfortable using sustainable materials. Musical instruments demand that one use the tried-and-true materials;  with furniture, there is much more leeway. More to follow.