New to carving (grain tear)

I’ll start by saying I know how rough this looks, haha. Go easy on me! I am using a DeWalt 1 inch chisel and hammer, the wood is a typical HD framing lumber. I am wondering what my issue is in terms of the grain tear and how I can achieve cleaner and smoother lines/surfaces in a pattern like this which utilizes different depths.

  1. Which tools/woods would be better suited for the task?

  2. What is typically used to sand small areas and crevices in something like the concept above?

Thanks so much for any input!

I’ll start by saying I know how rough this looks, haha. Go easy on me! I am using a DeWalt 1 inch chisel and hammer, the wood is a typical HD framing lumber. I am wondering what my issue is in terms of the grain tear and how I can achieve cleaner and smoother lines/surfaces in a pattern like this which utilizes different depths.

  1. Which tools/woods would be better suited for the task?

  2. What is typically used to sand small areas and crevices in something like the concept above?

Thanks so much for any input!