WOODCARVING – What would be a good beginner carving idea for me?-First-Time Basic Woodcarvings

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What can I start carving as a beginner?

What would be a good beginner carving idea for me?-First-Time Basic Woodcarvings

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For a beginner, what carving should I try first?

Getting started in wood carving is not that difficult. 

Each summer, I stayed with my grandparents in a small Russian village by the Volga river. I recall 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 sharp edge and I could probably cut something with it. Long story short, it was the start of my carving journey. I didn't carve wood that day. I found a white brick and began to chisel away. I really had no idea 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 remember if I felt joy or frustration, but I know now it was the beginning 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 didn't know anything about different kinds of wood or wood carving. How chip carving differs from relief carving? All those fancy words made little sense to me. I didn't know any basics 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.On my father's side, the family has a rich history of fine woodworkers and furniture makers. One of my great-grandfathers was a craftsman 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 was singing while working with wood.My first chisel came from my grandfather, and my first whittling knife came from my grandmother. It was actually a pocket knife made in the USSR, not a real whittling knife. Pocket knives are good for basic carving. Those two tools were all I had for carving. I didn't have any gouge or power tools. Not even a real chip carving knife. A simple pocket knife is enough to make something beautiful.

Back then I didn't know that woodcarving would be one of the most important parts of my life. Now I am carving for collectors around the world and private residences. I did not know that woodcarving could be such a rewarding hobby.

What would be a good beginner carving idea for me?

I'm new to carving, what should I start with?

Ponder on what attracts you more: 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)

 

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Any tips for my first carving project?

Think about another key question. What carving style appeals to me? Though, this isn't the only question to think about. Another question to consider is: what tools do you possess? Do you have basic carving tools or only a knife? Some folks only have a chainsaw :). Chainsaw carving is possible but not spoon carving.

I advise experimenting with various carving styles. Remember, 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 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, just like people with ADHD, your focus can either freeze or suddenly become very intense.

WOODCARVING – What would be a good beginner carving idea for me?-First-Time Basic Woodcarvings

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 would be a good beginner carving idea for me?-Beginner-Friendly Simple CarvingsOverviewWOODCARVING - What would be a good beginner carving idea for me?-Simple Starter Sculpting Projects
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