Whittling is carving with a knife alone. Every figure, spoon handle or letter opener comes down to a handful of cuts done in the right order. The cuts database describes each one; this guide is about how they fit together.
1. Rough out
Draw the outline on two faces of the blank, front and side. Remove everything outside the lines with long push cuts, taking big chips and working toward the line rather than to it. Stop about 1/16 in short. Roughing out is where most of the wood comes off and most of the time goes; a figure roughed to the right proportions is nearly done.
2. Stop cuts
Wherever one surface meets another at a step (the brim of a hat, the underside of a nose, the edge of a collar) make a stop cut first: a straight cut down into the wood along the line. Cuts that come in from the side then end cleanly at the stop instead of running on and splitting into the part you wanted to keep.
3. Shape with push and pull cuts
Round the form with sweeping push cuts, turning the piece so you are always cutting downhill with the grain. Use pull (paring) cuts for control near detail, drawing the blade toward the thumb that braces the wood. Small thumb-lever cuts finish the ends of facets. Rotate the work constantly; the knife stays in more or less one place and the wood moves.
4. Detail with V-cuts
Eyes, mouths, hair, fingers and fold lines are V-cuts: two angled cuts meeting at the bottom to pop out a small wedge. Make the first cut, then the second at the mirror angle, and the chip lifts out. Repeat deeper rather than trying to take it in one pass.
Finishing
A whittled figure can be left with the knife facets showing, which catch the light and read as hand-made. A final light slicing cut on each facet leaves a clean surface. If you prefer a smooth look, sand from 150 to 220 grit, then paint or oil.
Keep the edge keen
A dull knife needs force, and force is what causes tearing and slips off the line. Strop the blade every fifteen minutes or so: a few strokes on a leather strop charged with compound keeps a factory edge for weeks without any grinding.