Choosing a course?

[Wayne]

I have been pondering what people consider important when choosing a course.

Why spend your pennies with Mr X rather than Mr Y?

I’m looking go on an advanced carving course.
Interested in others decision making.

 

[Robson Valley]

I see more than 6 very distinctly different styles of carving.
I presume you have selected one which is appealing.

I want to see a collection of recent work to examine the teaching carver's personal style.
I need a ball-park estimate of the capital cost of a basic repertoire of tools.
How much dogma can you tolerate? Some are far worse than others.

The best of my first carving course was the entire spectrum of free-hand sharpening and honing.
The next one was 20(?) years later, steatite soapstone, to learn the finishing process.
Fair to say that I was able to take away quite a lot.

As you have been carving already, that gives you the advantage of knowing what questions to ask.

 

[Man of Tanith]

1 do i know the school? if so positive or negative experience?
2 does anyone who's opinion i value know the school? again positive or negative experience?
3 what do photos of the courses look like?
4 can i find any blogs/reviews/social media posts on the course?
5 is the course fully interesting to me or just specific aspects? i may completely avoid it or accept that there is some areas i will not be as interested in.

these are the main influences on my choices