What should I try carving first as a beginner?

As a beginner, what carving project should I start with?-Basic Initial Carvings for Newbies

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Which carving is good for a beginner?

Wood carving isn't difficult to get into. 

Every summer I stayed with my grandparents in a small Russian village by the Volga river. I remember being six years old. I snuck into my grandfather's workshop and saw a woodworking chisel. I didn't know what the tool was, but I knew it had a sharp edge and I could probably cut something with it. Long story short, it was the start of my carving journey. I didn't carve wood that day. I found a white brick and started to chisel. I had no clue what I was carving. I simply enjoyed the process. By the end of the day, I saw a human face in that brick. I don't really remember what I felt, joy or frustration, but I know now it was the start of my lifelong journey as a carver.

Then, I worked with wood and preferred it over brick. I decided. I'll carve wood, not brick!

I was clueless about wood types and wood carving methods. What sets chip carving apart from relief carving? All those fancy words made little sense to me. I wasn't familiar with the basics of wood carving.

I was very lucky with both sides of my family. My grandpa had a small shop and a few workbenches, and I could spend time with him and see how he worked. For him, his shop was a “hiding place” from his wife, my grandma. But she knew where to find him.On my dad's side, there's a long history of talented woodworkers and furniture makers. One of my great-grandfathers made furniture for a royal house in Saint Petersburg, Russia.My Grandmother shared stories of her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.

She recalled the songs her father used to sing. He sang songs while working with wood.I got my first chisel from my grandfather, and my first whittling knife from my grandmother. It wasn't really a whittling knife; it was a pocket knife from the USSR. Pocket knives work well for basic carving. Those two tools were my carving tools. I didn't have a gouge or any power tools. Not even a proper chip carving knife. A simple pocket knife is enough to make something beautiful.

Back then, I had no idea that woodcarving would become a major part of my life. Nowadays, I carve for collectors globally and private homes. I never knew woodcarving could be so fulfilling.

As a beginner, what carving project should I start with?

What should I carve as a beginner?

First, ask yourself what you find more appealing: a spoon or relief carvings. Often, beginners don't see the big difference between carving a wooden spoon and carving a 3-dimensional sculpture with a gouge and a mallet. This is also called carving in the round.

Nature itself functions by the ongoing interaction of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light. 

(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)

 

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What should I do for my first carving project?

Ponder another vital question. What carving style do I enjoy? Yet, this isn't the only question to consider. Another question is: what tools are available to you? Do you have basic wood carving tools or only a knife? Some might only have a chainsaw :). You can carve with a chainsaw, but not a spoon.

I recommend trying different styles. Remember, what hand tools do you have? With just a chip carving knife, spoon carving isn't possible, but other carvings are.

 

Dopamine behaves like transmission fluid: when it’s low, as in ADHD, attention can’t shift easily or it skips to high gear.

(John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman, Spark)

Dopamine in woodcarving is like oil for your carving tools: without enough, similar to people with ADHD, your focus can either freeze or suddenly become intensely focused.

WOODCARVING – As a beginner, what carving project should I start with?-Basic Initial Carvings for Newbies

Here is a List of some ideas:

• Crafting wooden spoons
• Old European Knife Carving
• Relief Carving
• Carving in the round
• Bird and Fish Carving

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