Post your best "good advice"

[upcarver]

What was the best advice you were ever given about carving?
I remember being at a Tom Wolfe seminar at the J. C. Campbell's school in N.C.. I had messed up the eyes on a caricature really bad! Tom picked it up and said " Their is always another set under that one". He pealed off my mistake and proceeded to carve another set of eyes.
Advice I've used many times.

[Mitchell]

Carve safe..... wear a glove.

Keep your tools sharp.

Along the same lines as what Tom gave you - don't be afraid to make a mistake. Most of the time it can be fixed and if you can't fix it, hopefully you learned something to make the time worthwhile.

Learn to make stop cuts. VERY effective in giving good, clean details when used correctly.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

1. Listen to everyone! Weigh what they say! Then toss out 99.9 percent of it. Remember, they're only passing on what they learned from someone else. And who knows if they knew what they were talking about?
2. Mistakes are teaching moments. Learn from them then cherish them.
3. Don't think you're ready to hit the seminar circuit until you've finished your first carving.
4. Don't jump from one technique to another until you mastered the first one.
5. Buy the best wood possible.

And lastly:
6. Apply the number 1 rule above to the other 5.

[Kazook]

practise, alot

[JIM QUILICI]

I had a good friend of mine ( a carpet layer) said to me.......... the only difference between a good carpet layer and a bad one is..... the good carpet layer knows how to fix his mistakes and the bad one don't......that would go with carving also.
Jim Q

[Kenny_S]

Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more.

[Speeronline]

Mistakes and Failures are your best teachers... It generally comes alone with pain and disappointment >> Save the pain and disappointment for last and make sure you learn what you need to for the future and start your next project quickly.

[Sharon of the Dell]

My Dad told me you get cut worse with a dull knife and always cut away from yourself. Both of these I have broken and paid for it in the past! LOL

[Bartster]

Always wash a carving with soap and water before finishing it will make a paint job look a whole lot better.


bart

[Doug Ridley]

Dick Bonner told me once, don't worry about ruining a carving. It ain't nothin' but a piece of wood.