What is a good first carving project for a beginner?
What’s the best first carving project for me as a newbie?-Woodcarving for Newcomers
What carving is best for a beginner?
Wood carving isn't difficult to get into.
Each summer, I visited my grandparents in a tiny Russian village near the Volga river. I recall being six years old. I sneaked into my grandfather's workshop and saw a woodworking chisel. I didn't know what the tool was, but I saw it had a sharp edge and thought I could cut something with it. Long story short, it was the start of my journey in carving. I didn't carve wood that day. I found a white brick and began to chisel away. I had no idea what I was carving. I simply enjoyed the process. By the end of the day, I could see a human face in that brick. I don't really remember if I felt joy or frustration, but I know now it was the start of my lifelong journey as a carver.
Later, I tried wood and liked it much more than brick. I made up my mind. I will carve wood instead of brick!
I had no idea about the types of wood or the different styles of wood carving. What the difference is between chip carving and relief carving? All those technical words were hard for me to understand. I wasn't familiar with the 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.Other side of my family. Father's side had a history of fine woodworkers and furniture makers. One of my great-grandfathers was one of the furniture makers 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 sang as he worked with the wood.I got my first chisel from my grandfather, and my first whittling knife from my grandmother. It wasn't really a whittling knife; it was a pocket knife from the USSR. 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.
I didn't realize back then that woodcarving would become so important to me. Today, I carve for collectors worldwide and private residences. I had no clue woodcarving could be this rewarding.
What’s the best first carving project for me as a newbie?
What is a good carving project for a beginner?
Think about what you like more: 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 operates through the steady interplay of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light.
(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)
Join School of Wood Carving
Starting my first carving project. What steps should I take?
Ponder another vital question. What carving style do I enjoy? Yet, this isn't the only question to consider. 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 do chainsaw carving but not spoon carving.
I recommend trying different 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 works like transmission fluid: if there’s not enough, as is the case in people with ADHD, attention can’t easily be shifted or can only be shifted all the way into 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?-Woodcarving for Newcomers
Here is a List of some ideas:
- Carving 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!