There really isn’t any one answer to this question since surface modeling can achieve the same results with many different steps. It really depends on the object and the type of recess or indent you want to make.

This video explains the concept of creating indents and recesses pretty well

This second video is not of Inventor but rather Fusion 360, but the workflow explains how to create detailed surfaces and the type of modelling operations you might have to do to get to the finished product