Tools

• The tools that you need to carve a three-dimensional project are the same tools that you'd use for other forms of woodworking. Carving knives in a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as curves, are a basic necessity. So too are hammers and chisels, sandpaper and files that can erase carving mistakes and slowly rub away wood. Power tools like saws, drill drivers and belt sanders are also useful, but they're essentially mechanized versions of what you'd use as hand tools for carving.
  
  

Blueprint

• While some skilled carpenters can just pick up a knife and whittle a perfect statue from a chunk of wood, those who lack that level of skill should plan their projects very carefully. Drawing out several blueprints of the final, three-dimensional figure from different angles is a good start. You should also mark out where cuts need to be made on your wood so that you can get a visual cue as to where your image lies inside.
  
  

Subject

• With wood you can carve anything that you want, within structural reason. Whether you want to make a reproduction of the statue of David, or you want to just carve a simple, three-dimensional chain, you can do it with wood. It is important, before you start carving, to assess your skill level and ask whether you need to work up to something as complex as you've chosen. After all, if you aren't accustomed to this form of art, you may get discouraged by trying to overstep.
  
  

3-D Imagination

• The major key to success when carving a three-dimensional statue out of wood is that you be able to visualize the project in three dimensions. It will have curves and perspective, a complete and overall look that you can't draw on paper or onto a flat surface. One of the major adjustments, therefore, is that during your carving you need to be able to see your project as a whole in your mind's eye.