Have you ever had an idea for a wood carving project but just don’t know enough about your subject matter to feel comfortable enough to tackle the project? When doing any wood carving project, you minds’ eye must first see the project so that it can translate the doing process to your hands. Having this mental picture is vital to your success.
A great idea to not only inspire you, but to also assist you in gathering a mental picture, is to start a scrap/reference book. Use clippings from magazines and old books that depict your chosen subject and place them in a scrap book. You can also use the internet to search for pictures and drawings of your subject matter.
By collecting these items, you will be on your way to being able to picture in your mind what you want your hands to carve. As you gradually add to the collection of images, you may even come up with other ideas that you hadn’t previously thought of. I also like to take pictures of all of my completed projects also, to add to my reference material for future projects.