Woodcarving is a time-honored art, and here is the definitive beginner's guide to this traditional craft, from carving with a pocket knife to sculpting with chisels and mallets. Starting with a detailed course in techniques such as chip carving, relief carving, and sculptural carving, it goes on to offer detailed plans, templates, and instructions for 50 projects, from distinctive front-door house numbers to a spectacular fire-breathing dragon. Every step is thoroughly illustrated with photos, right up to applying finishes such as paint, varnish, burning, or oiling.
Solid description of basic techniques, tools, cuts, and finishes. As a "just checking this out" newbie, I appreciated that info
The projects themselves come with patterns, tools and materials lists, and a set of text instructions that say things like "use the medium gouge to rough out the background." There are no pictures for the step by step instructions, just text
If I were the type of beginner who'd already practiced several cuts and done some carving, I might appreciate this book more. For a complete newbie, this isn't the book for you.