What Style Of Carving Do You Enjoy Most?

[AldenNight]

I posted a thread about which type of carving was for me (among other things) and the post evolved to be pretty informative and give me ideas about what I needed to get started in carving.

I found that I want to start with carving in the round, even though I eventually plan to try my hand at all the styles of woodcarving, simply because that is what initially piqued my interest in the art to begin with.

However during the conversation on that thread I decided that it would help me and possibly other beginners to know why certain people choose certain styles of woodcarving over another.

1. Why did you get started in woodcarving?
2. How did you start?
3. What style are you currently carving?
4. How did your journey take you to that style?
5. Do you plan on switching it up any time soon?

*******
In the poll I have listed Carving In the Round, Chip Carving, and Relief Carving - please let me know if I need to add one. I combined caricature and bird carving with Carving In the Round, please let me know if that is a faux pas.
*******

[Big Barn]

1. Why did you get started in woodcarving? I like to work wih my hands & to be able to see 'something' when I'm done
2. How did you start? I saw a guy whittling a chain at a knife show & thought I can do that. (after several failed attempts)
3. What style are you currently carving? In the round, small figures
4. How did your journey take you to that style? It's where I started & just stayed. I like it.
5. Do you plan on switching it up any time soon? I don't think so. Again, I like carving figures. Currently working on another chess set...

[arick]

OK, I'll start it off:
1: My dad was a beach comber and loved working with wood. He's my inspiration.
2: Got my start with a bird carving course at Lee Valley tools.
3; I carve birds using Dremel and Fordom power tools.
4: I learned on power tools and stuck with it.
5: Nope!

[pallin]

1. Both of my grandfathers were carpenters and taught me to make toys of wood.
2. I taught myself to whittle toy guns of Sequoia redwood - 1945
3. Now carve mostly reliefs and chip carved plates
4. Use only hand tools - Pfeil swiss-made
5. No plans for power carving, but open to new forms of carving

[brent]

Poll is hard for me. I like to do and try all forms of woodcarving.

[AldenNight]

Big Barn: That's pretty neat! From seeing a guy working on a wooden chain and proving to yourself that you can do it to carving small figures in the round! Even working on a chess set! I'd like to make a chess set one day, as I get better.

arick: I'm interested in knowing how your first bird carving came out. It seems like a rather difficult project to take on for a beginner class! Would you say the biggest reason that you carve birds is because it's what you did first or do you have a bird watching hobby as well?

pallin: I like that your grandfathers taught you to make toys from wood! It would have been neat to be able to learn woodcarving from my grandfathers. How did you go from carving toys to relief carving/chip carving - it seems that carving toys would lend itself to carving other things in the round.

brent: I can definitely understand that! Why did you get started in carving? What was your first project? What project are you currently working on?

[pallin]

My grandfathers actually started me out using a coping saw and a rasp to shape the toys. I was too little to be trusted with a sharp chisel. I later made my first serious self injury using a sharp gouge. When I shifted to whittling toy guns with a knife I learned to study the direction of a cut relative to the grain. This led naturally to reliefs. I carved my first relief at age 16.

[Gergie]

Edit, I see your question asks what are you working on and your thread title asks what you enjoy most, sorry I got a little confused

I would have to say Decoy carving is what I do the most of.

Hi, you need to add a lot more styles because carvers more then likely do many different styles so a choice of one won't quite cut it. Maybe change the question to Favorite style of carving.

I'll give the questions a shot.


Why did you get started in woodcarving? I saw a Walnut pintail at a DU banquet and thought I would love to carve that, and while visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial I saw Korczaks fighting stallions carved out of a single piece of wood and said I have to try carving.
How did you start? My dad sent me a pair of mallard carving blanks and I started working on them and was hooked.
What style are you currently carving?I do Decoys and wildllife in the round,, relief, flatplane, walking sticks,and busts.
How did your journey take you to that style? Each style was an extention of my carving journey, Started with Decoys and the will or want to expand my carving knowledge, lead me to the next adventure.
Do you plan on switching it up any time soon? I stitch all the time, just finished a relief and am starting on a Ruddy Duck I would get bored carving the same style all the time.

[twymanok]

I got started in wood carving in order to make going away gifts for guys in my section, they tend to get really expensive and despite rumors to the contrary Soldiers don't make alot of money.
I actually started with a router just doing basic engraving at the Craft center and the wood shop instructor gave me an exacto set and said if you shape those it will look better.
I currently do Relief only however when I go on the road I will do some in the round I am cutting some blanks and taking a Rick Butz wild life carving book with me on my next trip. Carving tools travel pretty good.

[oldbearx2]

Why woodcarving - I like working with wood, the different kinds and grain can make the same project look different.

How did I start - I had built a four post bed for my wife and I that required a shallow relief scene on the head and foot board. That was my first "carving"

What style - In the round, mostly animals, caricatures and realisitc human.

How did I get here - My second carving was a hillbilly by Harold Enlow that was featured in Wood magazine, whe I finished it and I was totally hooked on carving.

Do I plan on switching - I still do some shallow relief if one of my woodworking projects calls for it. But I really don't think I could not carvein the round.