What can I start carving as a beginner?
What’s the best first carving project for me as a newbie?-Woodcarving Activities for Starters
What carving is best for a beginner?
Starting with wood carving isn't tough.
Every 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 saw it had a sharp edge and guessed I could cut something with it. To cut a long story short, it was the beginning of my carving journey. I didn't carve wood that day. I found a white brick and began to “chisel away”. I had no clue what I was carving. I just liked the process. At 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 start 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 was clueless about wood types and wood carving methods. How chip carving differs from relief carving? The jargon was all very confusing to me. I had no knowledge of the basic principles 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 Granny told me tales from when she was a kid in her father's woodworking shop.
She remembered her father's songs. He sang 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.
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 the best first carving project for me as a newbie?
What should I carve as a beginner?
Ponder on what attracts you more: a spoon or relief carvings. Sometimes a beginner doesn't realize how big the difference is between carving a wooden spoon and carving some 3-dimensional sculpture with a gouge and a mallet. Also known as carving in the round.
Nature itself acts through the constant balance of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light.
(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)
Join School of Wood Carving
Any tips for my first carving project?
Think about another key question. What carving style appeals to me? However, this isn't the only question to ask. Another question to think about is: what tools do you own? Do you possess basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some of you have only a chainsaw :). You can do chainsaw carving but not spoon carving.
I suggest trying out different carving styles. Remember, what hand tools do you have? If all you have is a chip carving knife, you can't carve a spoon, but you can carve other items.
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, like those with ADHD, your focus can either get stuck or suddenly become very sharp.
WOODCARVING – What’s the best first carving project for me as a newbie?-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
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!