What should I try carving first as a beginner?
Can I get a suggestion for a basic carving project suitable for beginners?-Starter Basic Woodcraft Projects
As a beginner, what carving should I start with?
Starting with wood carving isn't tough.
Each summer, I stayed with my grandparents in a small Russian village by the Volga river. I remember when I was 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 noticed it had a cutting edge and figured I could cut something with it. To make a long story short, it was the beginning of my journey in the world of carving. I didn't carve wood that day. I found a white brick and started to chisel away. I had no idea what I was carving. I just enjoyed the process. At 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.
Afterward, I worked with wood and enjoyed it more than brick. I decided. I'll carve wood, not brick anymore!
I didn't understand anything about wood types or carving styles. What the difference is between chip carving and relief carving? All those fancy words made little sense to me. I did not know any wood carving basics.
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.My father's side of the family has a history of skilled woodworkers and furniture makers. One of my great-grandfathers crafted furniture for a royal house in Saint Petersburg, Russia.My Grandmother told me stories of her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.
She remembered the songs of her father. He was singing while working with wood.So, I got my first chisel from my grandfather, but my first whittling knife from my grandmother. Well, it was not really a whittling knife it was a pocket knife made in the USSR. Pocket knives are good for basic carving. Those two tools were my carving tools. I did not have any gouge or any power tools. Not even a real chip carving knife. A simple pocket knife to create something beautiful is enough.
Back in the day, I didn't know woodcarving would be such a big part of my life. Now, I carve for collectors all over the world and private homes. I never thought woodcarving could be so satisfying.
Can I get a suggestion for a basic carving project suitable for beginners?
What is a good carving project for a beginner?
Ponder on what attracts you more: a spoon or relief carvings. Beginners sometimes don't notice how different it is to carve a wooden spoon compared to carving a 3-dimensional sculpture with a gouge and a mallet. This is also called carving in the round.
Nature itself runs on the continuous interaction of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light.
(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)
Join School of Wood Carving
My first carving project: what should I do?
Reflect on another significant question. What is my favorite carving style? But this is not the only question you have to ask yourself. Another question is: what tools are available to you? Do you have basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some of you have only a chainsaw :). You can do chainsaw carving but not spoon carving.
My advice would be to experiment with different styles. Remember, what hand tools do you have? If you have only a chip carving knife you can't do “spoon carving”, but it does not mean you can't do something else.
Dopamine works like transmission fluid: if there’s not enough, as is the case in people with ADHD, attention can’t easily be shifted or can only be shifted all the way into high gear.
(John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman, Spark)
Dopamine in woodcarving is like oil for your carving tools: if there’s not enough, just like people with ADHD, your focus can either freeze or suddenly become very intense.
WOODCARVING – Can I get a suggestion for a basic carving project suitable for beginners?-Starter Basic Woodcraft Projects
Here is a List of some ideas:
- Hand-carving spoons
- Old European Knife Carving
- Relief Carving
- Carving in the round
- Bird and Fish Carving
I’m a woodworker who loves carving. I make fancy carvings for a high end client worldwide. I also teach wood carving. I started the School of Wood Carving, a non-profit to help people learn.
The school’s website has over 3,000 how-to videos. Great for beginners and pros! I’m from Russia but have lived in the USA a long time. Like wood? Join us at the School of Wood Carving. We’d love to have you!