How do I achive a watery, washed out looking stain on unfinished ash?

I have a new, unfinished dresser, made of solid ash. I want to paint or stain it so that it looks like water, I'm planning to paint fish and ocean life on it for my child's room. The grain of the wood is beautiful, I've only ever worked with unfinished pine before and this is so much nicer, I really want the wood to show through. If I prime it before putting the color wash on, won't it cover up the grain? Is there a transparent primer I could use?How do I achive a watery, washed out looking stain on unfinished ash?
transparent colored stainHow do I achive a watery, washed out looking stain on unfinished ash?
i saw a product in a store called pre-stain ..........i think it's clear meaning no color. .........i think the purpose is to make real stains go on prettier and more evenly but i don't know if it's right for your project. just something to ask about
try coffee or tea on a test piece.