How to Begin Woodcarving with a Utility Knife
Choose your pattern., Choose your wood., Trace your pattern., Make a stop cut., Cut the background., Cut the next level of outlines., Add detail., Sand your piece., Add stain and finish.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose your pattern.
The first part of any woodcarving project is deciding what to carve.
There are many places you can find good pattern books, such as hobby shops and the internet, or you can draw your own. -
Step 2: Choose your wood.
There are a lot of different types of wood providing a wide variety of color and grain textures.
Some basic woods can be found at your local hardware store, while more exotic woods can be found at hobby shops, specialty wood stores and on the internet.
Some woods are better suited for some projects than others.
For your first carving, it is best to use a soft wood like pine, bass or soft maple (available at most hardware stores).
If you can easily mark the wood with your fingernail, it is probably soft. , Using a stylus and a piece of carbon paper, which can be found at an office/stationery supply store, trace the pattern you have selected.
Try not to move the pattern until it is completely traced, or it may get a little disjointed.
It is often helpful to tape the pattern to the wood with small pieces of masking tape. , Take your utility blade and cut around the outline of the pattern.
This prevents unwanted chipping and helps your outlines to look clean. , With your blade at a shallow angle, cut the wood around the outline of the pattern.
In this case, it would be the petals, stem and leaves. , Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each level of detail.
In this case, it would be the flower petals.
Continue doing this until all of the lines are cut.
Be careful to pay attention to which side of each line you want to cut; you want to cut the side that will appear farther away. , Now that the basic outlines are cut, add detail that creates the illusion of depth and texture.
For our pattern, this detail includes:
Rounding edges:
Lightly cut the corners off the sharp outlines to provide a smooth transition.
Thumbprint type cut in the petals:
To add dimension to the otherwise flat petals, cut circular gouges in each one, holding the utility blade at a very shallow angle and pivoting it about the tip.
Don’t worry if it looks a little sloppy, as this will be smoothed out later.
Adding levels to the leaves:
Cut the portion that is farther back
- this gives the illusion of a portion of the leaf folding over itself.
Adding veins to the leaves:
This requires two cuts per vein, a stop cut and then another cut at a steep angle to create a long thin gouge in the wood. , Once details are cut, they can be smoothed and cleaned up by using bits of fine grit sandpaper to smooth the cut marks so the carving has a uniform surface. , Adding stain to your piece can add depth and texture, bringing out nuances in the carving that would not be as visible without the stain.
Protect the wood from the elements with a varnish or sealer.
The extra gloss can also give it a more professional look. -
Step 3: Trace your pattern.
-
Step 4: Make a stop cut.
-
Step 5: Cut the background.
-
Step 6: Cut the next level of outlines.
-
Step 7: Add detail.
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Step 8: Sand your piece.
-
Step 9: Add stain and finish.
Detailed Guide
The first part of any woodcarving project is deciding what to carve.
There are many places you can find good pattern books, such as hobby shops and the internet, or you can draw your own.
There are a lot of different types of wood providing a wide variety of color and grain textures.
Some basic woods can be found at your local hardware store, while more exotic woods can be found at hobby shops, specialty wood stores and on the internet.
Some woods are better suited for some projects than others.
For your first carving, it is best to use a soft wood like pine, bass or soft maple (available at most hardware stores).
If you can easily mark the wood with your fingernail, it is probably soft. , Using a stylus and a piece of carbon paper, which can be found at an office/stationery supply store, trace the pattern you have selected.
Try not to move the pattern until it is completely traced, or it may get a little disjointed.
It is often helpful to tape the pattern to the wood with small pieces of masking tape. , Take your utility blade and cut around the outline of the pattern.
This prevents unwanted chipping and helps your outlines to look clean. , With your blade at a shallow angle, cut the wood around the outline of the pattern.
In this case, it would be the petals, stem and leaves. , Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each level of detail.
In this case, it would be the flower petals.
Continue doing this until all of the lines are cut.
Be careful to pay attention to which side of each line you want to cut; you want to cut the side that will appear farther away. , Now that the basic outlines are cut, add detail that creates the illusion of depth and texture.
For our pattern, this detail includes:
Rounding edges:
Lightly cut the corners off the sharp outlines to provide a smooth transition.
Thumbprint type cut in the petals:
To add dimension to the otherwise flat petals, cut circular gouges in each one, holding the utility blade at a very shallow angle and pivoting it about the tip.
Don’t worry if it looks a little sloppy, as this will be smoothed out later.
Adding levels to the leaves:
Cut the portion that is farther back
- this gives the illusion of a portion of the leaf folding over itself.
Adding veins to the leaves:
This requires two cuts per vein, a stop cut and then another cut at a steep angle to create a long thin gouge in the wood. , Once details are cut, they can be smoothed and cleaned up by using bits of fine grit sandpaper to smooth the cut marks so the carving has a uniform surface. , Adding stain to your piece can add depth and texture, bringing out nuances in the carving that would not be as visible without the stain.
Protect the wood from the elements with a varnish or sealer.
The extra gloss can also give it a more professional look.
About the Author
Donald Kelly
Experienced content creator specializing in pet care guides and tutorials.
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