A wood that is suitable for carving must be tough, even grained and free from knots. For a beginner, and I guess you are one, yellow pine is a good wood to practice on as it is soft and easy to work but you must be careful not to splinter it along the grain.

Oak is much tougher but it is a fine wood for carving and you will not need to take the care to prevent splintering as with pine. Black walnut and mahogany are beautiful woods and are nice to carve, while for finer work apple, pear, sycamore and California redwood are largely used.

Kinds of Wood Carving

There are three kinds of wood carving in general and these are (1) chip, or surface carving, (2) panel or relief carving, and (3) figure carving, as shown in Fig. 25.

When you cut your initials in the top of your desk at school you made a primitive attempt at what is called chip carving. Most likely you got the birch for it but it was only the savage instinct for decorative art that was trying to find expression in you, and so it's not your fault. (But don't do it again.) Any kind of carving on a flat surface is called chip carving, and some of it is very beautiful. It is shown at A.

Panel carving is done on flat pieces of wood also but the design is made by cutting out or sinking the

Fig. 25. Kinds Of Carving

A- Plain Panel

B - Fancy Panel

C Figure Carving ground, as shown at B. Sometimes when it is desirable to make some part stand out in relief above the surface it is carved out of a separate piece of wood and planted on, that is glued on.

To carve a lily of the valley or a deer's head out of a solid block of wood is not as easy as the other kinds of carving, but if you have a natural aptitude for using tools and an eye for art you can succeed as well as the next one.

Fig. 25D. A Carved Watch Case Holder