
If I were a beginner, what would be the best carving to do?
Starting wood carving is pretty easy.
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 found 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 make a long story short, it was the beginning of my journey in the world of carving. I didn't carve wood that day. I found a white brick and started chiseling. I really had no idea what I was carving. I just liked 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.
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 the difference is between chip carving and relief carving? The jargon was all very confusing to me. I didn't know any basics of wood carving.
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 Grandmother shared stories of her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.
She remembered the songs of her father. He sang 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’s a good first carving project for me as an amateur?
What is a good carving project for a beginner?
First, ask yourself what you find more appealing: 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 functions by the ongoing interaction 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? However, this isn't the only question to ask. Another question is: what tools do you have? 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.
My advice would be to experiment with different styles. So, what hand tools do you possess? If you only have a chip carving knife, spoon carving is out, but you can still carve other things.
Dopamine operates like transmission fluid: if there’s a shortage, as with ADHD, attention shifting is difficult or jumps right 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’s a good first carving project for me as an amateur?-Simple Sculpting Ideas for New Carvers
Here is a List of some ideas:
- Crafting wooden spoons
- Old European Knife Carving
- Relief Carving
- Carving in the round
- Bird and Fish Carving
