What should I carve as a beginner?
What’s the best first carving project for me as a newbie?-Easy Woodcarving Activities
For a beginner, what carving should I try first?
Starting wood carving is pretty easy.
Each summer, I stayed with my grandparents in a small Russian village by the Volga river. I remember when I was six years old. I sneaked into my grandfather's workshop and discovered 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. Long story short, it was the start of my carving journey. I didn't carve wood that day, though. I found a white brick and started to “chisel away”. I really didn't know what I was carving. I just enjoyed it. By the end of the day, I could identify a human face in that brick. I don't really remember what I felt, joy or frustration, but I know now it was the start 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 was clueless about wood types and wood carving methods. How do chip carving and relief carving differ? All those fancy words made little sense to me. I did not know any wood carving basics.
I was 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 obviously, 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 Granny told me tales from when she was a kid in her father's woodworking shop.
She remembered the melodies her father sang. He was singing while working with wood.My grandfather gave me my first chisel, and my grandmother gave me my first whittling knife. Actually, it was a pocket knife from the USSR, not a whittling knife. Pocket knives are good for simple carving. Those were my carving tools. I didn't have a gouge or any power tools. Not even a real chip carving knife. A basic pocket knife is enough to create 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 the best first carving project for me as a newbie?
What should I carve if I'm just starting out?
Ponder on what attracts you more: 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 works through the constant 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?
Think about another key question. What carving style appeals to me? But this is not the only question you have to ask yourself. Another question is: what tools are available to you? Do you have basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some might only have a chainsaw :). You can carve with a chainsaw but not a spoon.
My advice would be to experiment with different styles. Again, what hand tools do you have? 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 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 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’s the best first carving project for me as a newbie?-Easy Woodcarving Activities
Here is a List of some ideas:
- Making 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!