Crafts / Craftsmen / craftswomen (craftspeople, I suppose)

I'd start with the carving blank securely clamped, or held in a vice. Then make a drawing, which is usually just a side profile ( driveside, natch ). I'd then cut the profile with either a jigsaw, or with a coping saw for more delicate areas. A cordless drill is handy for removing difficult to reach material at speed, but you need to be sure about exactly what you want to remove, and be aware that it could go too deep and make a mess of everything.

After that, gradually get closer to the final shape with a succession of gouges, starting with deep and working to shallower and attempting to get to a shape that won't require too much filing with rasps or rough sanding. Then it's sandpaper, ranging from about 80 - 500 grit, in a process that seems to last forever, until there's no signs of any scratches left. It's very time consuming, but the smoother surface suits those timbers with a more interesting grain pattern.

The initial blank was 203mm x 102mm x 76mm, so power tools and their associated noise and mess could be avoided with something that small.