Hi Ryan....Making dolls has helped me somewhat in knowing the depth.....I draw the picture out on the wood....I study it for about 30 minutes....the deepest level will, of course, be the background so I find the next deepest level to the next deepest level all the way back to where the highest level is...NOTE: [In this carving the Braids would be the highest level because the head is leaning forward.] Then I number them according to how many levels I have and on an inch thick board seven prime levels would be the limit.....I made a rule on a inch thick board: each level will be 1/8" in depth and between the clothes and skin is 1/16" thick which doesn't really add any anymore thickness because you can blend it back in...I can adjust that say with the nose, eyes, hair, etc., etc....You ask: "If so are you cutting to each level and then blending afterwards?"....Ryan you are pretty observant...you have a hawk-eye....That is exactly what I do!...I work backwards in that I cut the deepest points first.....There may be a better way to do it?....I really don't know and I'm certainly not an expert....Toni could probably answer that better then me....The relief carvings on this form are the first ones I've done so I'm learning as I go.....side note:[This may not work on a landscape carving, I have not done one of those as of yet....That's a whole different ballgame for me.]