What is a good first carving project for a beginner?
What is a simple carving project I can do with no experience?-Introductory Sculpting Projects
For a beginner, what carving should I try first?
Wood carving isn't difficult to get into.
Every summer, I lived with my grandparents in a small village by the Volga river in Russia. I remember when I was six years old. I snuck into my grandfather's workshop and found a 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 idea what I was carving. I simply enjoyed doing it. 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 starting point of my lifelong journey as a carver.
Later, I tried wood and liked it much more than brick. I made up my mind. I will carve wood instead of brick!
I didn't understand anything about wood types or carving styles. How chip carving differs from relief carving? All those technical words were hard for me to understand. I was unaware of the fundamental concepts 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.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 shared memories of her childhood in her dad's woodworking shop.
She recalled the songs her father used to sing. He sang while he worked with the 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.
At that time, I didn't know woodcarving would play such a crucial role in my life. Now, I create pieces for collectors globally and private residences. I didn't think woodcarving could be so gratifying.
What is a simple carving project I can do with no experience?
As a beginner, what should I carve?
Decide what you find more interesting: 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 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
Any tips for my first carving project?
Think about another key question. What carving style appeals to me? However, this isn't the only question to ask. 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 do a chainsaw carving but with a chainsaw, you can't carve a spoon.
My advice would be to experiment with different styles. Once more, what hand tools do you own? If you only possess a chip carving knife, you can't do spoon carving, but you can still carve other things.
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: if there’s not enough, like those with ADHD, your focus can either get stuck or suddenly become very sharp.
WOODCARVING – What is a simple carving project I can do with no experience?-Introductory Sculpting Projects
Here is a List of some ideas:
- Creating spoons from wood
- 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!