[TNcarver]

Just curious to all the expert experienced carvers out there, how long or how many carvings did it take you in the beginning until you thought of yourself as good or experienced? I'm fairly new, only been carving about two months now, but love to carve. I am interested in caricatures and see these incredible works of caricatures out there and am amazed at the detail and scale. I'm on my first one and using Pete Leclair's book "Carving caricatures from scratch", and it's wonderful. My carving is coming along nice, but to think that people do tens upon tens of these at ease it incredible. Thanks.

[mark yundt]

That's a very interesting question,,and it can be answered in a variety of ways,and I'm sure we all have our own take on it.Personally I think my first carving was great,,that first step started a journey for me,,as yours is for you.That's what makes it a great thing.Infinitely better than those who don't even try.Judging it as a poor,fair,,good,great carving,,well depends on what you use for comparison,,and that's all it really is,,a comparison.Was my first carving of the same quality I think I can produce now,,no.Will what I produce now be as good as what I might do 5 yrs from now?It's only a snapshot in time,of one particular carving,judged by a particular set of eyes,in one particular style.Everything should and will change,your carvings,your eyes,your style.Do I consider myself a good carver,,I'm not bad,,though I see carvers who's work I really admire,,and that inspires me,as do the old Masters.People have told me my work is good,,I look at it and before long I tear it apart seeing nothing but flaws,but I tend to see only the good things about theirs.Experience? After your first carving you have experience,,and you build on it.I have a few yrs of it and still question everything looking for more or better ways and trying to figure more things out.Seeing other carvers and trying to do what they can do isn't my goal.They ,to me,serve as an inspiration sign post.Merely an indication of what is possible.The rest is up to me to find it within myself.Carving to me isn't an external thing,,it's internal,,,,intuitive,,the results are merely an indication of how I did wrestling with those ideas and being able to bring them out.Carving isn't a mental process,,(good,bad,not enough experience and every other thought ABOUT carving ) learn to carve from within,,your pieces will be better for it.Believe it or not,,after doing one piece ,you have 95% of the techniques you need to do pretty much any carving ,any size,any style you choose.It's only up to you as to what you decide to do with them,and find out how good a carver you can become.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Here's my thoughts on the matter.......

"You're never as good as you think you are and if you're lucky, you might be as good as you ought to be!"

[Mitchell]

I have yet to stop learning something with each carving I do...

[Kenny_S]

Me thinks Lynn summed it up best with his last sentence!

I gain experience with each carving. I am as Good as some think I am and not as good as I should be. Never have seen a good experienced carver on his first carving.
You learn on each carving.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Never a horse couldn't be rode, never a rider, couldn't be throwed! lol No matter how good you think you are, there is someone out there better....but then on the other hand, no matter how bad you think you are, there is someone out there worse! ha ha

[mark yundt]

Yes,,well there you go,,so much for an attempt at an answer for a new carver,with a budding interest in this hobby,,and probably full of questions and some doubts about their carvings. Since I don't have the ability to carve to the level of some on this site,with the breadth ,depth and insight some seem to have,,,an answer with some thought is relegated to being hot air,,,but lame wit and sarcasm are a considered, intelligent answer for a new carver,,,,, I personally think that's in poor form,,but then again,,that type of answer takes little thought or effort,,,new carvers are worth more to me than that..I apologize TNcarver for my answer,,,the others here are probably more help to you than I could try to be...

funny,,I thought the nature of a public forum wasn't censored by the carving police,,I guess not everyone is ENTITLED to asnwer as they deem appropriate

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Opps! Looks like I stepped on some toes again. Sorry!

Okay, I'll drop the wisecracks for a while and answer the questions more directly. I've been carving seriously for about 40 years. Am I good? I'd say maybe "fair" would be the best description from my perspective. Sure, I've gained tons of experience but I can always use tons more. I surely didn't learn 95 percent of what I needed to know with my first carving. As a matter of fact it was a piece of crap and I long ago tossed it. I did keep my first wrangler though. Maybe I learned 5 percent but more likely .000001 percent of what I actually needed to know would be more accurate. Carving, like anything really, is a learning experience. Someone can show you something or you can see, read or hear about something. That's the easy part. To actually learn you have to practice, practice, practice and then, when you think you might be starting to get proficient it's time to really start practicing and then practice some more. There is no end to it.

One thing you should also learn, especially as you're interested in caricature carving, is to try and see humor in everything. You can't carve a humerous figure if you don't have a sense of humor. Fortunately, if you stick around this forum long enough you'll learn to laugh along with the rest of us as we trade ideas, thoughts and sometimes, a few jokes.

[gene messer]

TN .. You say something in your question that answers it all ... "I love to Carve " ... That's the motivating factor of anything ..

Weather your first or last carving is the best is not the what count's .. But that you love the art and with time you will Improve ! ..

That's the way it is with anything you choose to love and work at ...

Dont be too hard on yourself on your first piece and dont be afraid to show it to us ... Most of us try to find good in anyone's attempt at carving ... We have all been there ..

Who know's .. you might have some tip's for us ...

No one is a veteran at first .. but it's the veterans who can help those who are first starting ...

Do your best and you might end up surprising even yourself ..

Your first best step is joining this forum like you did .. there is probably not anything you will experience that hasnt been done before by some member of this forum ..

Good Luck and welcome to this wonderful art ..

Gene

[Eddy Smiles]

What Lynn said!... but then again, it's never about the destination, only the journey!