If I were a beginner, what would be the best carving to do?
Wood carving is easy to start.
Each summer, I stayed with my grandparents in a small Russian village by the Volga river. I remember being six years old. I snuck inside my grandfather's workshop, and I found one woodworking chisel. I didn't know what the tool was, but I knew it had a cutting edge and I could probably 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, though. I found a white brick and started to chisel away. I had no clue what I was carving. I just liked the process. By the end of the day, I could identify a human face in that brick. I don't really remember if I felt joy or frustration, but I know now it was the start 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 had no idea about the types of wood or the different styles of wood carving. What sets chip carving apart from relief carving? The jargon was all very confusing to me. I lacked any basic understanding of wood carving.
I felt very blessed with both sides of my family. My grandfather had a small shop and a couple of workbenches, and I could spend time with him and watch how he worked. For him, his shop was a “hiding place” from his wife, my grandmother. But she knew where to find him.My family on my father's side has a tradition of excellent woodworkers and furniture makers. One of my great-grandfathers worked as a furniture maker for a royal house in Saint Petersburg, Russia.My Granny shared memories of her childhood in her dad's woodworking shop.
She remembered the tunes her dad sang. He sang songs while working with wood.My grandfather gave me my first chisel, and my grandmother gave me my first whittling knife. It was really a pocket knife from the USSR, not a whittling knife. 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.
What are some simple carvings I can do as a beginner?
What should I carve if I'm just starting out?
Ask yourself first what is more appealing to you: a spoon or relief carvings. New carvers often don't realize the huge 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 works through the constant 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
Starting my first carving project. What steps should I take?
Ponder another vital question. What carving style do I enjoy? However, this isn't the only question to ask. Another question to think about is: what tools do you own? Do you have basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some of you might only have a chainsaw :). Chainsaw carving is possible but not spoon carving.
I advise experimenting with various carving styles. Remember, what hand tools do you have? If you only possess a chip carving knife, you can't do spoon carving, but you can still carve other things.
Dopamine operates like transmission fluid: if there’s a shortage, as with ADHD, attention shifting is difficult or jumps right to 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 – What are some simple carvings I can do as a beginner?-Simple Entry-Level Carving Projects
Here is a List of some ideas:
- Crafting wooden 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!