What are some easy things to carve for a beginner?

Which carving project would be easy for me as a first-timer?-Basic First-Time Woodcarvings

Join School of Wood Carving


 

For a beginner, what carving should I try first?

Starting with wood carving isn't tough. 

Every summer, I lived with my grandparents in a small village by the Volga river in Russia. I remember 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 thought I could 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 the process. At the end of the day, I could identify 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.

Afterward, I worked with wood and enjoyed it more than brick. I decided. I'll carve wood, not brick anymore!

I didn't understand anything about wood types or carving styles. How chip carving differs from relief carving? All those fancy words made little sense to me. I was unaware of the fundamental concepts of wood carving.

I was very fortunate with both sides of my family. My grandpa had a small shop and some workbenches, and I could hang out with him and watch how he worked. To him, his shop was a “hiding place” from his wife, my grandma. But she knew where to find him.The other side of my family, my father's side, is known for their skill in woodworking and furniture making. A great-grandfather of mine was a furniture maker for a royal house in Saint Petersburg, Russia.My Grandma talked about her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.

She remembered the tunes her dad sang. He sang as he worked with the 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.

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.

Which carving project would be easy for me as a first-timer?

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

Ask yourself first what is more appealing to you: 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 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

My first carving project: what should I do?

Consider another crucial question. What carving style do I prefer? Yet, this isn't the only question to consider. Another question to think about is: what tools do you own? Do you have basic wood carving tools or only a knife? Some folks only have a chainsaw :). You can carve with a chainsaw but not a spoon.

I recommend trying different styles. Think about it, what hand tools do you have? With just a chip carving knife, spoon carving isn't possible, but other carvings are.

 

Dopamine is like transmission fluid: not enough of it, as in those with ADHD, makes it hard to shift attention or it jumps 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 – Which carving project would be easy for me as a first-timer?-Basic First-Time Woodcarvings

Here is a List of some ideas:

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

Join School of Wood Carving