What are some easy things to carve for a beginner?
What should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?-Simple Sculpting Ideas for New Carvers
If I were a beginner, what would be the best carving to do?
Getting started in wood carving is not that difficult.
Every summer, I lived with my grandparents in a small village by the Volga river in Russia. I recall 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 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, though. I found a white brick and began to chisel away. I had no clue what I was carving. I just enjoyed the process. At the end of the day, I could see 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.
Afterward, I worked with wood and enjoyed it more than brick. I decided. I'll carve wood, not brick anymore!
I was unaware of the various types of wood and wood carving techniques. How chip carving differs from relief carving? I found all those fancy terms very confusing. I had no knowledge of the basic principles of wood carving.
I felt very fortunate with both sides of my family. My grandfather owned a small shop and a couple of workbenches, and I could spend time with him and watch him work. For him, his shop was a “hiding place” from his wife, my grandmother. But naturally, 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 Grandma talked about her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.
She remembered the songs of her father. He was singing 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.
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 should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?
What carving project is best for a beginner?
Ponder on what attracts you more: 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 acts through the constant balance of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light.
(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)
Join School of Wood Carving
I'm starting my first carving project. What should I do?
Ponder another vital question. What carving style do I enjoy? But this is not the only question you have to ask yourself. Another question is: what tools are available to you? Do you own basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some of you have only a chainsaw :). Chainsaw carving is possible but not spoon carving.
I recommend trying 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 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: without enough, similar to people with ADHD, your focus can either freeze or suddenly become intensely focused.
WOODCARVING – What should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?-Simple Sculpting Ideas for New Carvers
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!