STYLING

The artistry of bonsai is in the process of styling. Part of styling is done according to specific rules, which help to create a finished product that looks pleasing. Without going into the philosophy of bonsai here, the following are some esthetic goals you should try to achieve when styling your trees:

1. The tree should look old (no matter how old it really is).
2. The tree should look stable, not like it's falling out of the pot.
3. The tree should look like a natural tree, not a man-made topiary.
4. The tree should appear healthy even if it appears to have survived many storms and much adversity.
5. The tree should have a certain movement to it. That is, the eye should be drawn along the shape of the tree (or line of the trunk) in a pleasing fashion.
6. The pot should not draw attention away from the tree.

Following are some guidelines for styling that help achieve the above goals: (NOTE: Bonsai are always viewed from the "front." Therefore, select a front view of the tree; and all the styling considerations are made with that view in mind.)

1. To look old, the tree should appear to have undergone changes that trees do as they age, that is, the roots are eroded, the trunk thickens and tapers, the branches bend down, the whole tree enlarges and growth slows. Therefore,
• Look for the widest base and expose the heavy roots. Make the front of the tree the side that shows the best roots and base of the trunk. Visible roots should not cross or come straight out towards the front. About half the thickness of surface roots should be exposed; they should not be entirely above the soil.
• The trunk should be as thick as possible, especially at the bottom where more branches have fed it over the years. The front view should show the part of the trunk that has the widest base and the most extreme taper.
• Bend the branches down at the trunk, especially the lower branches. This is most important for evergreens or trees that are to show extreme age. In nature, branches bend down over the years from the weight of the branch and from snow. Lower branches bend down more because of their larger size and more years of snowfall. Evergreens bend down more than deciduous trees because the foliage holds more snow than bare branches.
• Leaves should be as small as possible; this makes the tree look larger in comparison and thus older. The apex of a tree rounds off slightly in an older tree as it stops shooting toward the sun, so a slightly rounded apex makes the tree look older, as long as the rest of the tree goes along with the old appearance.
2. Stability. No matter what style, the tree should appear stable and balanced. Although your eye will tell you more, here are a few rules to help. Pot the tree near but not in the center of the pot. Upright trees should have the apex directly above the center of the base. Slanting trees are usually placed in the pot so that they slant toward the side with the larger area of soil. A broad base and prominent roots anchor the tree's image. The pot should be the right size and shape (see potting).
3. The tree should look like a natural tree, not a man-made topiary. Rules for this include:
• "Let the birds fly through," that is, leave spaces between layers or "clouds" of foliage.
• Do not prune the foliage into perfect balls, triangles or other geometric shapes.
• If you want to leave part of a dead branch, prune it by breaking or peeling the end off with pliers instead of leaving a flat cut stump.
• Above all, do not make the whole tree or the individual foliage masses perfectly symmetrical, and don't plant it in the exact center of the pot.
4. The tree should appear healthy, even if it appears to have survived many storms and much adversity. It may have dead wood on it; but the wood should look dry and weathered, not rotting. Sand or scrape dead wood so it doesn't look splintered or feathered; and (optionally) paint it with lime sulfur to preserve it. Foliage should be green. Fertilize for good color, especially a week or two before showing the tree. Control pests. Never cut leaves or needles in half because they will turn brown. Rather, remove the entire leaf when damaged and pinch out new growth with your fingers. Keep the trunk and exposed roots clean with a toothbrush. (You can use a mild soap solution, but do not let it soak into the soil.)
5. The tree should have movement to it, that is, the eye should be drawn along the scene of the tree in a pleasing fashion. It is the wood, not the foliage that primarily determines the style. The foliage is a background or frame for the wood. So the most important styling concerns have to do with the trunk and branches. To get this effect follow these points:
• The first branch should come off at about 1/3 of the tree's height.
• Visible branches should never cross when viewed from the front.
• Adjacent branches should never be exactly parallel to each other.
• If branches are exactly opposite each other and have the appearance of a cross (bar branches), one or the other should be eliminated.
• Two branches should not originate from the same place on the trunk.
• Lower branches should be thickest, and should gradually be smaller toward the apex.
• Branches should come off from the outside of the curves in the trunk, never from the inside (pocket branches).
• Large branches should never come directly out toward the viewer (eye-poking branches).
• Branches should not be "u-shaped;" sharp angles look better.
• All the rules for main branches as they come off the trunk should also apply to secondary branches as they come off the main branches.
• The lowest branch should come off the trunk starting on one side, then the next higher branch on the other side, and the third branch toward the back. (Alternatively, the height of the back branch could be between the first two side branches). Repeat this pattern to the top of the tree, with occasional small branches in front of the trunk near the top (a very flexible rule.)
• For about 1/2 to 2/3 the height of the tree, the foliage should not completely hide the trunk or the origin of the main branches when viewed from the front.
• The secondary branches and the foliage masses should be flattened by wiring and trimming instead of remaining ball-shaped or shapeless. Viewed from the top, each branch should basically be triangular-shaped (widest part near the trunk); and the branches should extend out in all directions from the trunk. No branch should completely shade the branch under it.
• Viewed from the front, the overall shape of the foliage mass should be somewhat triangular and balanced over the base. This does not mean a symmetrical triangle; rather, the foliage and the trunk together should suggest movement. A Christmas tree shape just sits there like a couch potato. It is more pleasing for the tree to appear moving but balanced, like a graceful dancer. To get this appearance requires overall asymmetry, irregular spaces between the foliage masses, flattened branches that draw the eye out from the trunk in a coordinated fashion, and a base that appears strong enough to anchor the tree.
6. The pot should not draw attention away from the tree. As a picture frame matches a picture, pots should be the proper shape, size and color to match the style and color of the tree. Bonsai pots are unglazed clay or have a subdued earthtone color. Fancy details, carvings and painting are usually avoided. The pot should be approximately 2/3 as wide as the tree is tall. The body of the pot should be 1 to 1 1/2 times as high as the width of the tree's base. The shape of the pot, type of lip, feet, taper of the sides, etc. are also considerations when choosing a pot; but those are beyond the scope of this booklet. (NOTE: These rules are for the final pot. When the tree is in training and growing more vigorously, the pot should be larger, plainer and cheaper.)