What should I carve as a beginner?
Can I get a suggestion for an easy carving project as a beginner?-Starter Basic Woodcraft Projects
If I were a beginner, what would be the best carving to do?
It's not hard to begin wood carving.
Each summer, I visited my grandparents in a tiny Russian village near the Volga river. I recall being six. I sneaked into my grandfather's workshop and discovered a woodworking chisel. I didn't know what the tool was, but I saw it had a sharp edge and thought I could cut something with it. To cut a long story short, it was the beginning of my carving journey. I didn't carve wood that day. I found a white brick and began to “chisel away”. I didn't know what I was carving. I just enjoyed doing it. At the end of the day, I could identify a human face in that brick. I don't really remember what I felt, joy or frustration, but I know now it was the starting point of my lifelong journey as a carver.
Next, I used wood and found it better than brick. I chose. Carving wood is my new thing, not brick!
I was clueless about wood types and wood carving methods. What the difference is between chip carving and relief carving? The jargon was all very confusing to me. I lacked any basic understanding of wood carving.
I was very fortunate with both sides of my family. My grandpa had a small shop and some workbenches, and I could hang out with him and watch how he worked. To him, his shop was a “hiding place” from his wife, my grandma. But she knew where to find him.The other side of my family, my father's side, is known for their skill in woodworking and furniture making. A great-grandfather of mine was a furniture maker for a royal house in Saint Petersburg, Russia.My Granny told me tales from when she was a kid in her father's woodworking shop.
She recalled the songs her father used to sing. He was singing 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 didn't know woodcarving would be so significant in my life. Today, I carve for collectors around the globe and private homes. I didn't realize woodcarving could be so rewarding.
Can I get a suggestion for an easy carving project as a beginner?
What should I carve as a beginner?
Ask yourself first what is more appealing to you: a spoon or relief carvings. Many times, beginners don't understand the big difference between carving a wooden spoon and carving a 3D sculpture with a gouge and a mallet. This is also known as carving in the round.
Nature itself operates through the steady interplay of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light.
(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)
Join School of Wood Carving
How do I start my first carving project?
Ponder another vital question. What carving style do I enjoy? But that's not the only question you need to ask. Another question to consider is: what tools do you possess? Do you own basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some folks only have a chainsaw :). You can do chainsaw carving but not spoon carving.
I suggest trying out different carving styles. Think about it, what hand tools do you have? With just a chip carving knife, spoon carving isn't possible, but other carvings are.
Dopamine is like transmission fluid: not enough of it, as in those with ADHD, makes it hard to shift attention or it jumps to high gear.
(John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman, Spark)
Dopamine in woodcarving is like the oil for your carving tools: if there’s not enough, similar to individuals with ADHD, your focus can either get stuck or suddenly jump to intense concentration.
WOODCARVING – Can I get a suggestion for an easy carving project as a beginner?-Starter Basic Woodcraft Projects
Here is a List of some ideas:
- Spoon carving
- 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!