I've recently fallen in love with Japanese woodcarving after watching some amazing videos on YouTube, and I've even bought my first knife set. However, I've already had some accidents (like cutting myself) and I'm struggling with sharpening my tools. I have a specific project in mind where I want to carve a hair pendant from a small 2 by 2 inch cube - one side will feature a wolf and the other an elephant. I've tried my hand at carving spoons before, but they didn't turn out well, as I ended up splitting the wood. With such a complex project like this in mind, how do you all plan out your designs when starting with the block?
2 Answers
This is a pretty ambitious design for a beginner, especially on such a small piece. I'd suggest working on perfecting your carving techniques first by practicing simpler animal shapes. Check out 'Carving is Fun' on YouTube; the guy has a great tutorial for a fox that could really help! Once you feel more comfortable, try carving the elephant and wolf separately before combining them. Just to clarify, are you aiming for 3D sculptures or more of a relief design?
Start by sketching multiple profile views on paper, then transfer those onto the block. As you carve, you can adjust your drawings slightly. For the animal faces, make sure the grain of the wood is oriented correctly; if not, it could weaken the features like the snout or trunk. Since it's just a pendant, you can always super glue it together if it breaks. Also, think about how you will hold it as it becomes more rounded—maybe secure it with a screw at the base. Planning to make two or three versions can also help alleviate pressure on the final piece. And definitely share pics of your progress, I’d love to see how it turns out!
I’ll make sure to post updates! This will be my first serious project in this hobby, and I’ve shared more details about it in another comment.
Definitely 3D! I want a flat disk connecting both heads. I'm thinking of a smooth bust with both heads joined by a 1 mm oval disc that has a loop on top for the cord. I have so many ideas, I might be getting ahead of myself!