What is a good first carving project for a beginner?
What should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?-Simple Woodcarving for Beginners
Which carving is good for a beginner?
Wood carving isn't difficult to get into.
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 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. I found a white brick and started chiseling. I had no clue what I was carving. I simply enjoyed the process. By 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.
Following that, I used wood and liked it way more than brick. I decided. Wood carving is for me, no more brick!
I was unaware of the various types of wood and wood carving techniques. How do chip carving and relief carving differ? All those complicated terms confused me. 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.Other side of my family. Father's side had a history of fine woodworkers and furniture makers. One of my great-grandfathers was one of the furniture makers for a royal house in Saint Petersburg, Russia.My Grandmother shared stories of her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.
She remembered her father's songs. He would sing as he worked with wood.I got my first chisel from my grandfather and my first whittling knife from my grandmother. It wasn't actually a whittling knife; it was a pocket knife from the USSR. Pocket knives are good 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 can create 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.
What should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?
What should I carve as a beginner?
Decide what you find more interesting: a spoon or relief carvings. Sometimes a beginner doesn't realize how big the difference is between carving a wooden spoon and carving some 3-dimensional sculpture with a gouge and a mallet. Also known as carving in the round.
Nature itself moves through the ongoing exchange 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?
Consider another crucial question. What carving style do I prefer? Though, this isn't the only question to think about. Another question to ask is: what tools are at your disposal? Do you own basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some folks only have a chainsaw :). You can carve with a chainsaw but not a spoon.
I advise experimenting with various carving styles. Think about it, 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 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 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 should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?-Simple Woodcarving for Beginners
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!