Carving for Beginners
STEVE GURNETT Beginning Carving 2-day class, SA-SU
Join carving Instructor, Steve Gurnett, for two days of wood carving at the Creede Woodcarvers Rendezvous on Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13, 2025. The subject of this class is titled “Rounding Corners”. He will be teaching a beginning carving class focusing on carving basics. What you will learn:
• Safety first • How to keep your tools sharp,
• The three knife cuts needed to carve any project,
• Two techniques for controlling your chisel or gouge through the cut
• How to round corners (most beginner carvers don’t round the corners enough, leaving their carvings looking “boxy”)
• Techniques for creating symmetry in your piece • Glue is your friend
• How to know when you are done (Stop! Put the knife down and walk away!)
• Patience
� � The students will spend the first half of day one learning a variety of woodcarving techniques. Then they will choose their project (or projects, time depending) from a variety of options including whittled, realistic, or stylized, with the goal of developing their carving technique. Students will work one on one with him on a rotating basis. As opportunities to demonstrate a particular concept arise, he’ll stop the class and demonstrate a technique or concept. He finds that he learns as much from his students as they learn from him, so he encourages questions and an open dialogue.
Tools Needed: (He will provide some tools but it’s best that you bring whatever you own)
• Carving knife • 1/4” v-tool
• #7 gouge
• Carving glove
• Finger guard
• Pencil
• Notepad (for doodling, taking notes, etc.)
• Phone (for taking pictures or videos of demonstrations, checking your email, trashing him on social media, etc.)
• Water bottle
List of Projects: • Comfort Bird • Shore birds • Wooden chain (links carved from a solid piece of wood) • Ball in a cage • Golf club duck (small charge for the golf club) • Dolphin • Shark • Sea Horse • Shoe • Gnome • Whatever else he throws in the bag
The full 2 day class fee of $60 is due at time of registration.
Cost of the rough-out, $5-10, is payable to Steve on the day of the class.
Number of students: 4 minimum; 10 maximum.
This class is for Beginners and Intermediate