I'm new to woodworking in general. I have been doing some hand carving in Cherry wood to date. It's a pleasure to work with and gives great results. Downside is, in hindsight I'm not keen on how it darkens in sunlight (surprisingly quickly).

I'm considering moving to another hardwood. Would Alder be a similar match generally? Especially the visual look and color of it when freshly planed?

Thanks!