What is a good first carving project for a beginner?
What should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?-Woodcarving for Newcomers
For a beginner, what carving should I try first?
Starting with wood carving isn't tough.
Every summer, I lived with my grandparents in a small village by the Volga river in Russia. I recall when I was six years old. I snuck into my grandfather's workshop and saw 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 began to “chisel away”. I had no idea 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 remember if I felt joy or frustration, but I know now it was the beginning 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. How do chip carving and relief carving differ? All those technical words were hard for me to understand. I did not know any wood carving basics.
I was very lucky with both sides of my family. My grandpa had a small shop and a few workbenches, and I could spend time with him and see how he worked. For him, his shop was a “hiding place” from his wife, my grandma. 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 while working with 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.
Back in the day, I didn't know woodcarving would be such a big part of my life. Now, I carve for collectors all over the world and private homes. I never thought woodcarving could be so satisfying.
What should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?
As a beginner, what should I carve?
First, ask yourself what you find more appealing: a spoon or relief carvings. A lot of beginners don't grasp 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 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
I'm starting my first carving project. What should I do?
Think about another key question. What carving style appeals to me? Yet, this isn't the only question to consider. Another question to ask is: what tools are at your disposal? Do you possess basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some of you might only have a chainsaw :). You can do a chainsaw carving but with a chainsaw, you can't carve a spoon.
I recommend trying different styles. Once more, what hand tools do you own? If you have only a chip carving knife you can't do “spoon carving”, but it does not mean you can't do something else.
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: without enough, like people with ADHD, your focus can get stuck or suddenly become intensely focused.
WOODCARVING – What should I carve if I’m new to this hobby?-Woodcarving for Newcomers
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!