What should I carve to practice my skills as a beginner?-Woodcarving Activities for Starters

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What's a good carving project for a beginner?

Getting started in wood carving is not that difficult. 

Every summer, I spent time 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 saw it had a sharp edge and thought I could cut something with it. To make a long story short, it was the start of my journey in carving. I didn't carve wood that day, though. I found a white brick and started to chisel away. I didn't know what I was carving. I just enjoyed the process. 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.

Next, I used wood and found it better than brick. I chose. Carving wood is my new thing, not brick!

I knew nothing about types of wood or about different types of wood carving. What sets chip carving apart from relief carving? All those complicated terms confused me. I lacked any basic understanding 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 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 should I carve to practice my skills as a beginner?

What should I carve as a beginner?

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 functions by the ongoing interaction of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light. 

(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)

 

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Starting my first carving project. What steps should I take?

Think about another key question. What carving style appeals to me? Yet, this isn't the only question to consider. Another question is: what tools are available to you? Do you have basic carving tools or only a knife? Some folks only have a chainsaw :). You can carve with a chainsaw, but not a spoon.

I suggest trying out different carving styles. Remember, what hand tools do you have? If you only have a chip carving knife, spoon carving is out, 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 the oil for your carving tools: if there’s not enough, similar to individuals with ADHD, your focus can either get stuck or suddenly jump to intense concentration.

WOODCARVING – What should I carve to practice my skills as a beginner?-Woodcarving Activities for Starters

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

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WOODCARVING - What should I carve to practice my skills as a beginner?-Simple Entry-Level Carving ProjectsOverviewWOODCARVING - What should I carve to practice my skills as a beginner?-Beginner-Friendly Initial Carvings