Wood Carving Tips for Beginners

by Russell Scott

Safety
Remember, you are using a sharp knife while carving, which could cause serious injuries if not handled properly. This may seem trivial, but accidents happen. It is a good idea to keep bandages on hand. Also, take your time while carving. Haphazardly working as fast as you can may cause problems. Woodcarving is a time-honored art not an assembly line craft.

How to handle a knife
Use your wrist while carving and not your elbow. You will have more control taking smaller pieces of wood off than trying to remove large chunks and sending the blade through the air. Keep the blade sharp, the duller the knife the more you have to dig into your wood. Also, always cut down and not across. Turn the wood while pressing down so that when you get to the side of your wood, the knife stays on your wood doesn't slip off. Don’t use the knife as a scraper; this would dull the edge of the blade. And don’t pry any wood off; this would break the tip of the blade.

Pencil it in
Draw a centerline down the middle of the wood to help you keep both sides balanced. Use a pencil to draw out your idea on the wood before you cut. It’s much easier to erase a pencil mark than a deep cut or an undesirable cut away wood. Not only will a pencil help you in your creativity, but also a pencil will help you from making big mistakes.

Types of wood
There are numerous kinds of wood to carve, but basswood is a good starter. If you plan not to paint your work and want to show nice grain, you may want to choose Butternut. Another nice carving wood, but one that is a little more expensive, is Tupelo.

Watch the grain
Determine which direction the grain is running. You will want your carving cuts to go with the grain. (Practice making a few cuts on a scrap of wood) Like using a spoon to scoop out melon balls, slice into the wood and come up and out at the end of the slice. If you do not cut out at the end of the cut, the wood may rip or tear. Your cuts may be short or long, as long as you do not tear away the wood. If the wood chip does not drop off by itself it is not cut all the way. Do not pull off chips as this may tear the wood.

Painting

A sealant should be applied first so the porous wood will not soak up the paint.
Acrylic paints can be used and are inexpensive. For starters, mix approximately 33% paint with 67% water for most colors, white should be a 50-50 mix. Experiment with different thickness mixtures. Often times a thinner paint to water ratio will give the carving an antique look. Don’t use paint out of the bottle (except for eyes) because it will cover the knife marks making the carving look like it was made with a cheap plastic.
Oil paints may also be used. Thin out the oil paint with boiled linseed oil. If an antique look is desired, a mixture of boiled linseed oil with burnt umber, or a common medium darkness wood stain is brushed on and immediately wiped off.
Finish the piece with at least one spray/coat of Deft or another brand of polyurethane.

Do not be discouraged
If your first carving does not come out the way you wanted, don’t be discouraged and quit carving. This is a new hobby for which will take time and practice to master. Learn from your mistakes and apply that learning to the next carving. Stay interested in woodcarving. I have found that wood carvers are a friendly lot. Get help from experienced woodcarvers at your local wood carving clubs and interest groups. And take opportunities to participate in wood carving classes. They will help you to enjoy the art of wood carving as you grow into an accomplished woodcarving artist.