Eight Steps to Learning to Carve Anything
When students call me to ask about carving classes, the first question I usually ask is, “What kind of wood carving are you interested in?” Most answer, “I don’t know.”
I ask this question because, as time goes on, I like to direct instruction toward each student’s particular interest. Most new carvers are unaware of the great variety of forms and categories that wood carving can encompass. Most are only familiar with two generalized categories: relief carving and carving in the round.
- Relief Carving: Carving into a flat surface.
- Carving in the Round: Carvings that are fully sculpted in three dimensions.
These categories can be divided further into realistic or abstract styles. Some carvers like to sub-divide them into foliage carving, decorative carving, chip carving, figurative work, lettering, wildlife, waterfowl, and more.
Some students say, “I want to learn to carve X,” where X might be a cat, lettering, or whatever else they have in mind. However, it has long been my contention that if you learn how to carve, you should be able to carve anything.
I have met many carvers who attended classes where they created a specific object, but by the end of the course, they had no idea how to recreate it or translate what they learned to a new project. It is my hope that through my classes, students will fully grasp the fundamentals of wood carving—taking what they have learned to move confidently into a lifetime of carving enjoyment.
To carve anything, you need a plan. The good news is that it is essentially the same plan for 90% of all carvings you will ever attempt.
The Eight Steps to Carving
If you follow these eight steps, you can carve anything. From the simplest leaf to a full figure, the steps are always the same:
- Decide what you want to carve.
- Make a drawing or plan.
- Find a piece of wood that suits what you want to carve.
- Transfer your drawing to the wood.
- Rough out for grounding.
- Model the shapes.
- Detail the work.
- Finish the carving.
Carvers tend to get into trouble when they transpose the order of these steps, which frequently leads to what I like to call “square duck syndrome” (more on that later).
Learning to carve is like riding a bike: you are a little wobbly at first, but once you learn the basics—how to balance, start, and stop—the bike can take you anywhere you want to go. However, just like riding a bike, you must start with a few short trips around the block before taking on the Tour de France.
Part One: Stuff You Need to Know Before You Get Started
Tools, Wood, and Grain Direction
Regardless of your artistic ability, mechanical aptitude, or natural talent, you cannot carve wood successfully without a basic understanding of three core concepts: tools, wood, and grain direction. For some, this understanding comes quickly; others may struggle—particularly with grain direction.
Tools
There are many ways to carve wood. Many of today’s hobby carvers prefer to use power tools like die grinders, Foredom rotary tools, and Dremels equipped with an infinite variety of burs and grindstones. To those who wish to use power tools, I say, “More power to you!” However, we will not be covering those here. If you are going to carve wood, why spend all day listening to grinding noise and sucking in dust? Traditional hand tools work faster, leave a cleaner finish, and are a true pleasure to use once properly sharpened.
The vast array of available carving tools can feel overwhelming. The good news is that a beginner only needs a few basic tools to get started. In my introductory classes, I provide students with information on tool availability, shapes, and sizes because it is helpful to know what exists, even if you do not need every tool right away.
There are three basic hand-carving tools: knives, chisels, and gouges.
- Knives
A good carving knife features a strong, short blade paired with a long, comfortable handle. For beginners, a good knife serves as an invaluable substitute for many specialized tools. Once you become proficient with other carving tools, however, your knife will rarely be used.
- Chisels
A chisel has a straight, flat edge. Chisels come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes for paring, mortising, general carpentry, and even large slicks for boat building and timber framing.
A good chisel is indispensable. I prefer a paring chisel with a thin, tapered blade that is beveled on one side only. Starting out, a chisel with a blade width of 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch is ideal. You can add more to your collection over time. Many commercial carving sets include a double-beveled chisel, but I find that I almost never use mine.
A chisel can be used on almost any convex surface and—when held beveled-side down—on many concave surfaces. Almost all lettering can be carved using a single chisel. While additional chisels and gouges make carving more efficient, they are not strictly required to get started. (Lettering is a slight exception to the standard carving steps; once you master basic letter carving, virtually any style can be tackled with confidence.)
- Gouges
Gouges come in an almost infinite variety of shapes and sizes, categorized in three ways:
- Size: The physical width of the blade (ranging from 1/32 inch up to 3 inches wide; larger sizes quickly become unwieldy).
- Sweep: The degree of curvature across the blade.
- Profile: The physical shape of the shaft/blade (e.g., straight, bent, or spoon-shaped).
Sweep is generally designated by a number from #2 to #10 (or #3 to #11, depending on whether the manufacturer is in the UK or continental Europe). The lower the number, the flatter the gouge; the higher the number, the closer the blade is to a deep U-shape.
Because each student brings a different assortment of tools and I do not want to force anyone to buy expensive equipment, I prefer to describe gouges in terms of speed:
- Fast Gouges (#9 to #11): Deeply U-shaped blades that remove material quickly.
- Slow Gouges (#2 to #4): Blades that are almost flat.
- Moderate Gouges (#5 to #8): Blades that land right in the middle.
- Specialty Tools
- Parting Tools (V-Tools): Most commonly found with 60° or 90° angles, referring to the angle where the two sides meet.
- Veiners: Deep, narrow, U-shaped tools named for their use in carving the veins of leaves.
- Others: Skews, macaroni tools, back-bents, fishtails, palm-sized gouges, and spoon gouges. These specialty tools are usually acquired only as specific needs arise.
When factoring in size, sweep, and profile, available options reach into the thousands. However, you can accomplish a vast amount of carving with a basic starter set of six tools.
Recommended Beginner Tool Set
All of the following should be full-sized, straight-shaft tools:
- Paring Chisel: 1/2″ to 3/4″ wide
- Slow Gouge (#2 to #4): 1/2″ to 1″ wide
- Moderate Gouge (#5 to #8): 3/8″ to 3/4″ wide
- Fast Gouge (#9 to #11): 3/8″ to 1/2″ wide
- 60° Parting Tool: 3/8″ to 1/2″ wide
- Carving Knife: Short, straight blade
Tip: If you plan to work on larger projects, choose tool widths at the higher end of the ranges listed. If you plan to do smaller, detailed carvings, choose widths at the lower end.
Note on Palm Gouges: While commercially available palm sets are an inexpensive way to start, try not to rely on them too heavily. Full-sized tools provide better efficiency and control.
Workholding: Securing Your Wood
One of the most vital principles of traditional carving is securing your work firmly so that both hands remain free to control the tools. You will never cut yourself as long as both hands stay behind the cutting edge!
While specialized carving vises exist, you do not need an expensive setup when starting out. Here are several simple workholding methods:
- Clamping: Secure the wood directly to a workbench or bench vise.
- Backing Board: Screw a scrap piece of plywood to the underside of your carving block. Clamp the plywood to your bench to keep the clamps out of your way and protect your carving from clamp marks.
- Double-Sided Carpet Tape: Excellent for relief carving because it provides total clear access around the entire perimeter. Warning: Do not leave carpet tape on the wood for more than 2 to 3 days, as the adhesive can damage the wood fibers upon removal.
- Paper-Joint Gluing: A traditional method where a layer of heavy paper is glued between your workspace backing board and the blank. When finished, split the paper joint apart to release the carving.
- Riser Block: Screw a 2×4 or 4×4 block to the back of your work piece and secure the block into a bench vise. This allows flexible access to the piece in three dimensions.
How to Hold a Chisel or Gouge
The Golden Rule: Always keep both hands behind the cutting edge. If an approach feels dangerous, stop immediately and evaluate a safer way to secure or hold the tool.
Aim to maintain a third point of contact with the work. Both hands grip the tool while the heel of your non-dominant hand rests on the wood. This establishes a pivot point and prevents the blade from slipping unexpectedly forward.
The Standard Grip
This is your fallback position, providing maximum control and power. (Instructions below are written for right-handed carvers; reverse for left-handed use.)
- Hold your left hand out, palm up, with your thumb pointing away from you.
- Lay the gouge in your left palm with the concave side facing down. The blade rests across your hand while your thumb extends along the handle.
- Curl your fingers around the blade and rotate your wrist so your palm faces down. A few inches of blade should extend past your pinky finger.
- Place the heel of your right hand against the butt of the handle, aligning the handle in a straight line with your right forearm.
- Lightly wrap your right fingers around the handle. The cutting power should come from your arms and shoulders, not your fingers.
- Place the heel of your left hand on the wood to act as an anchor/pivot point, driving forward with your right hand while controlling direction and resistance with your left.
The Underhand (Finger) Grip
Keep your right hand in the same position on the handle. Grip the blade with your left hand between your fingers and thumb (thumb on top), resting the back of your left hand against the wood. Use this grip for light, precise finishing cuts.
Understanding Wood Grain
Wood grain refers to the fibrous structure that forms the body of a tree. Annual growth rings extend along the height of the tree, while branches and natural defects create knots that alter the straight flow of these fibers.
What Does “With the Grain” Mean?
Think of wood grain like the fur on a cat or dog. If you stroke a pet from head to tail, the fur lies down flat and smooth. If you stroke it in the opposite direction, the fur stands up and gets messy.
Carving “with the grain” means pushing your tool in the direction that lays the wood fibers down smooth. Carving “against the grain” causes the fibers to tear, lift, and split.
Grain direction will change depending on your angle of cut or the structure of the wood:
- When carving a flat, incised letter “O”, the grain direction changes 8 times around the circle!
- In 3D relief carving, grain direction constantly shifts as you move around forms.
If you are ever uncertain of the grain direction, take a very light test cut with a sharp gouge or chisel to see whether the wood cuts cleanly or tears.
Choosing the Right Wood
While almost any wood can technically be carved, choosing the right species depends on your project goals:
- Hardwoods: Best suited for smaller carvings requiring fine detail holding. Avoid heavy-grained hardwoods like Oak, Ash, or Hard Maple when starting out.
- Softwoods: Allow fast material removal on large carvings, but species like Spruce or Fir can be stringy, brittle, and difficult for beginners.
Recommended Carving Species
- Basswood (Linden): The single best choice for beginners. It is inexpensive, widely available, soft, fine-grained, and very forgiving if you accidentally carve against the grain.
- Butternut: Soft with an attractive grain pattern similar to Ash or Oak. Carves easily, though slightly less forgiving than Basswood. (Note: Availability may vary due to butternut blight).
- Black Walnut & Pine: Excellent choices for experienced carvers, though high-quality, clear pine can be difficult to source.
Wood Characteristics Summary
| Wood Species |
Hardness / Density |
Grain Pattern |
Beginner Friendliness |
| Basswood |
Soft Hardwood |
Minimal / Fine |
Excellent |
| Butternut |
Soft Hardwood |
Coarse / Ash-like |
Very Good |
| Walnut |
Medium Hardwood |
Rich / Medium |
Intermediate |
| Pine |
Softwood |
Varies |
Good (if clear of knots) |
| Oak / Ash |
Heavy Hardwood |
Strong / Coarse |
Not Recommended for Beginners |
How to Select a Piece of Wood
(Drafting section – add notes on selecting defect-free stock, checking moisture content, and inspecting grain orientation before starting.)
This cockle shell cabinet was made for Baywood interiors who installed it at a St. Francis of Assisi school.