Not sure if this is the right location for this post.
I want to start carving 3D wall hangings ( like dogs playing poker)
There is quite a bit of detail.
I’m not sure what type of wood will carve the best, and still be easy to sand for the inevitable cleanup.
I would guess that some models look better on certain color of wood.
All I see on Etsy are darker wood, but maybe they just photograph better?
I’m a fan of cherry…
I have also used mesquite, hickory, maple and mahogany.
Cherry is my fave (heart)
Mahogany was really stringy and difficult to and. (Cross)
Hickory was a piece of firewood i saved (flag pulled down cross)
Maple came out well (bible quote)
Mesquite came out awesome, especially given design choice. (Tattered flag)
That’s probably because there’s not many hardwoods that are light and they all get darker when finish is applied… maple is all i can think of, that is lighter.
Maple, walnut, cherry and poplar are my go-tos for fine detail because of the tightness of the grain and with something like poplar there’s usually no real color variation on a piece of wood.
I avoid oak because of the grain. It’s good for a lot of projects but not really 3D sculpting.