What’s a good first carving project for me as an amateur?-Starter Woodcarving Tips

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Which carving is good for a beginner?

Starting wood carving is pretty easy. 

Every summer I stayed with my grandparents in a small Russian village by the Volga river. I remember when I was six. I snuck into my grandfather's workshop and found a woodworking chisel. I didn't know what the tool was, but I saw it had a sharp edge and guessed I could 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, though. I found a white brick and began to chisel away. I didn't know what I was carving. I just liked 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.

Following that, I used wood and liked it way more than brick. I decided. Wood carving is for me, no more brick!

I didn't understand anything about wood types or carving styles. What sets chip carving apart from relief carving? All those fancy words made little sense to me. I didn't know any basics 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 father's side of the family has a history of skilled woodworkers and furniture makers. One of my great-grandfathers crafted furniture for a royal house in Saint Petersburg, Russia.My Grandmother told me stories of her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.

She recalled the songs her father used to sing. He sang 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’s a good first carving project for me as an amateur?

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

Consider what you prefer: a spoon or relief carvings. Beginners sometimes don't notice how different it is to carve a wooden spoon compared to carving a 3-dimensional sculpture with a gouge and a mallet. This is also called carving in the round.

Nature itself works through the constant interaction of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light. 

(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)

 

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How do I start my first carving project?

Think about another key question. What carving style appeals to me? But that's not the only question you need to ask. Another question to consider is: what tools do you possess? Do you own basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some of you might only have a chainsaw :). You can carve with a chainsaw but not a spoon.

My recommendation is to try various styles. Again, 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 functions like transmission fluid: when there’s too little, like in people with ADHD, it’s tough to shift attention or it goes straight 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’s a good first carving project for me as an amateur?-Starter Woodcarving Tips

Here is a List of some ideas:

  • Carving spoons
  • Old European Knife Carving
  • Relief Carving
  • Carving in the round
  • Bird and Fish Carving

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WOODCARVING - What’s a good first carving project for me as an amateur?-Easy Woodcarving Patterns for StartersOverviewWOODCARVING - What’s a good first carving project for me as an amateur?-Beginner-Level Woodcarving Tasks