What can I start carving as a beginner?

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

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As a beginner, what carving should I start with?

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 recall being 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 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 chiseling. I didn't know what I was carving. I just enjoyed doing it. At the end of the day, I could see 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 was clueless about wood types and wood carving methods. What sets chip carving apart from relief carving? All those complicated terms confused me. I had no knowledge of the basic principles 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 Grandmother told me stories of her childhood in her father's woodworking shop.

She recalled her father singing songs. He sang as he worked with the wood.So, I got my first chisel from my grandfather, but my first whittling knife from my grandmother. Well, it was not really a whittling knife it was a pocket knife made in the USSR. Pocket knives are good for basic carving. Those two tools were my carving tools. I did not have any gouge or any power tools. Not even a real chip carving knife. A simple pocket knife to create something beautiful is enough.

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?

As a beginner, what should I carve?

Think about what you like 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 runs on the continuous interaction of opposites—earth and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dark and light. 

(Based on Robert Greene, Mastery)

 

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What should I do for my first carving project?

Reflect on another significant question. What is my favorite carving style? Yet, this isn't the only question to consider. Another question is: what tools are available to you? Do you own basic wood carving tools or just a knife? Some of you have only a chainsaw :). You can do chainsaw carving but not spoon carving.

My recommendation is to try various styles. So, what hand tools do you possess? 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 – Which carving project would be easy for me as a first-timer?-Introductory Carving Techniques

Here is a List of some ideas:

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

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