Ian's Woodcarving Tips

Tips from Ian Norbury Author of the Art of Ian Norbury and several other carving books.

Woodcarving Illustrated Issue #28 Page 75

When asked what he could offer carvers to help them improve, Ian rendered advice in his inimitable style.

1. Carve Within Yourself. So many carvers try to do things beyond their ability and they make a mess of the attempt. It can be frustrating and depressing. A better approach is to carve something that is within your ability and do it really, really well. Slowly work your way up from there. Pretend you're being paid to do it. If you're not 100 percent behind it, then you're just wasting wood and time.

2. Get the Most From Your Book Purchases. When you buy a book on woodcarving, read and follow every single wood and study the photos. The tendency is to just look at the pictures. As a write of books, I can tell you that I don't put the words on paper just ti fill the space.

3. Take Your Time. Forget all the stuff you read about machines and gizmos to make the carving process go faster. Don't ever forget that what you are making is a unique object, a work of art. You have to get it right, and to get it right you have to take your time.

4. Always Use the Best Wood You Can. It's really no more difficult to carve a beautiful piece of wood than a dull one. The beauty of the wood then enhances your carving.

5. Quick and Easy Sharpening. Sharpening with an oilstone will produce the best edge. But it's very time consuming and only very skilled people can get a very good edge. Using machines, anyone can get a second-rate edge very quickly. I much prefer having a second-rate edge quickly than spending the time to sharpen with an oilstone.