Chitosan is a natural and renewable polymer extracted mainly from crabs and shrimps without toxic and pollution to human beings and environment and can be used to the wood surface modification such as wood dyeing and clear painting.But the information of changes of color characteristics of wood painted with chitosan is absent.In this paper the color characteristics of unpainted and painted wood with aqueous solution of chitosan at 0 5,1 0,1 5,2 0,2 5 and 3 0% concentration for sapwood of Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata ) and Chinese White Poplar (Populus tomentosa) ,heartwood of Chinese Fir were measured and analyzed.The results showed that all the color difference went up as the concentration of an aqueous solution of chitosan painted wood increased while the other parameters vary little between unpainted and painted wood.2% of an aqueous solution of chitosan is the best concentration for wood dyeing or clear painting with no influence to further surface treatment.