Artistic Foundations of Bonsai Design By Andy Ruthledge

[Poink88]

Every now and then you hit a jackpot and Andy's online book is one of them IMHO. It is great, GREAT book that hardly gets its share of publicity that it deserves. I encourage those who has not read it yet (newbie and seasoned alike) to read it. For me it is one of those that I keep going back to. I found it more than a year ago and by far is my favorite...even more than most of my expensive books.

http://andyrutledge.com/book/index.html

If you are into bonsai...all seven (7) chapters are must read. Enjoy!

 

[A Random User]

I agree... One of the great things about it that often is
not touched on with alot of books, is the design of a tree.

Far to often one finds a tree that has had alot of work
done on it, years and years of refining, and yet the very
fundementals of the structure of the tree, were all laid out
wrong, so many years ago.

I personally think this is the hardest thing for one to learn
and master in bonsai. You would be amazed at how many
folks I have seen who have been doing Bonsai for years...
Some almost as many as I have been alive, Have never
managed to come to terms with this.

It is not something that just works it's way out in the way
of some pretty foilage... If one has a gnarly old trunk with dead
wood, and plops some staight branches with happy clouds of
green... something doesn't work.

 

[Poink88]

...
Far to often one finds a tree that has had alot of work
done on it, years and years of refining, and yet the very
fundementals of the structure of the tree, were all laid out
wrong, so many years ago.

I personally think this is the hardest thing for one to learn
and master in bonsai. ...

I agree. I see it even here at B-Nut but I keep my mouth shut (hard as it is to believe ) just because the owner of the trees are much more experienced than I am. Maybe they cannot see it? Hard to correct something if you do not recognize it as a problem.

 

[Dav4]

I know, really...what's wrong with those people? Living in denial or ignorance I guess...what a shame. By the way, Stacey, you reminded me to take a new picture of one of my favorite trees...it's filling in nicely. I hope you like it.

PS Andy is one of my favorite Bonsai authors...it's definitely worth a read.

 

[A Random User]

The funniest thing Dav4 is that I wasn't actually referring to you, or
your tree. I wasn't even referring to anyone in particular... It was a
just a general statement, of what I personally have seen alot of.

But...Now that you decided to inject you and your tree into the conversation...

Your tree seems to be the perfect example of what I was saying...
It has an identity crisis going on, perhaps you should re-read the book
that Dario has posted, and stop taking things so personally...

Thanks for the example...

 

[A Random User]

I agree. I see it even here at B-Nut but I keep my mouth shut (hard as it is to believe ) just because the owner of the trees are much more experienced than I am. Maybe they cannot see it? Hard to correct something if you do not recognize it as a problem.

To be fair, I myself have walked by my own trees a couple of
hundred times before realizing I had made a mistake in the
structural placement in the design of a tree, and had to change
it.
OOOPS !!!! It happens...

 

[fredtruck]

I think it is a good idea to take others' thoughts on design with a grain of salt. Some things work sometimes, and other times they don't. For example: Andy devotes part of Chapter 6 to what he terms "Touching Tangents." This essentially is an enclosed white space that Andy feels draws attention away from the flow of the design. He sees it as a flaw. However, there are all kinds of classic Japanese bonsai that disregard this notion. There is a famous 5-needle pine called "Gem" that features an enclosed white space right in the center. You can see this in Yuji Yoshimura's book, "The Art of Bonsai" on page 87. Kimura worked on this tree later, if I recall right. It is very tempting to just follow rules in designing a tree...but watch out. It might turn out to be an academic exercise.

 

[Poink88]

I think it is a good idea to take others' thoughts on design with a grain of salt.

Very true and I for one never use anything as a RULE...I always refer to them as GUIDELINES. It is however very important to understand how and why they came to be. Something Andy explained very well.

 

[catfish chapstick]

I think it is a good idea to take others' thoughts on design with a grain of salt. Some things work sometimes, and other times they don't. For example: Andy devotes part of Chapter 6 to what he terms "Touching Tangents." This essentially is an enclosed white space that Andy feels draws attention away from the flow of the design. He sees it as a flaw. However, there are all kinds of classic Japanese bonsai that disregard this notion. There is a famous 5-needle pine called "Gem" that features an enclosed white space right in the center. You can see this in Yuji Yoshimura's book, "The Art of Bonsai" on page 87. Kimura worked on this tree later, if I recall right. It is very tempting to just follow rules in designing a tree...but watch out. It might turn out to be an academic exercise.

i totally agree with this statement.

"These facts are not the entire measure of art..." -Andy Rutledge

"As in all arts, bonsai usually conforms to a set of conventions, guidelines, or 'rules'. Rules is probably the worst word of the three to describe what most artists do to create bonsai, but it is the word that most people use. These rules are not cast in stone and are frequently broken..." -Brent Walston

"Hell, there are no rules here; we're trying to accomplish something" -Thomas Edison

LOL

 

[Dav4]

The funniest thing Dav4 is that I wasn't actually referring to you, or
your tree. I wasn't even referring to anyone in particular... It was a
just a general statement, of what I personally have seen alot of.

But...Now that you decided to inject you and your tree into the conversation...

Your tree seems to be the perfect example of what I was saying...
It has an identity crisis going on, perhaps you should re-read the book
that Dario has posted, and stop taking things so personally...

Thanks for the example...

Phewww, I really was worried you were referring to me...glad that was not the case. Anyway, the fact that you and I will never agree on the styling of that particular tree is fine. Your artistic vision is different then mine. I hate to think in absolutes, but if there is a "right" and a "wrong" in bonsai styling, then they are separated by an extremely large grey zone. What might "make sense" and what makes a good bonsai are not always the same, either. This "identity crisis" you are referring to seems to permeate classical Japanese bonsai...deadwood trunks with a live vein visible from the soil to the canopy, topped by lots of green. For you, the story is conflicted and doesn't work. For others, the story is less important or even non-existant...they just enjoy the image. With that in mind, you might need to read the book again, specifically the first page of chapter 2 where Andy references tree caricatures, and fantasy as motivation to styling...it sums things up nicely for me in this particular instance.

 

[Poink88]

To be fair, I myself have walked by my own trees a couple of
hundred times before realizing I had made a mistake in the
structural placement in the design of a tree, and had to change
it.
OOOPS !!!! It happens...

Me too...my biggest advantage is that I am new and haven't invested too much time & effort developing nicely ramified branches on any of my trees yet...it is easier to chop when there is nothing of value above it yet. It must be very painful to chop something you developed for a decade...

It doesn't mean I haven't fallen on the same trap before but I take conscious effort to keep checking...and yes I know I am still missing (not seeing) some but that is more because of my personal inadequacy to spot proper design at this stage.

 

[A Random User]

Phewww, I really was worried you were referring to me...glad that was not the case. Anyway, the fact that you and I will never agree on the styling of that particular tree is fine. Your artistic vision is different then mine. I hate to think in absolutes, but if there is a "right" and a "wrong" in bonsai styling, then they are separated by an extremely large grey zone. What might "make sense" and what makes a good bonsai are not always the same, either. This "identity crisis" you are referring to seems to permeate classical Japanese bonsai...deadwood trunks with a live vein visible from the soil to the canopy, topped by lots of green. For you, the story is conflicted and doesn't work. For others, the story is less important or even non-existant...they just enjoy the image. With that in mind, you might need to read the book again, specifically the first page of chapter 2 where Andy references tree caricatures, and fantasy as motivation to styling...it sums things up nicely for me in this particular instance.

Well since we're friends now...

I did a virt for you... Where you can still have the "classical japanese"
foilage, with a much better branch design, that compliments the deadwood
and the roots... at least in my opinion...
by the way, I would keep the crossing over root a the bottom right.
adds character.

 

[Colorado Bonsai]

Every now and then you hit a jackpot and Andy's online book is one of them IMHO. It is great, GREAT book that hardly gets its share of publicity that it deserves. I encourage those who has not read it yet (newbie and seasoned alike) to read it. For me it is one of those that I keep going back to. I found it more than a year ago and by far is my favorite...even more than most of my expensive books.

http://andyrutledge.com/book/index.html

If you are into bonsai...all seven (7) chapters are must read. Enjoy!

Thanks for the link. I will be reading this tonight.

 

[Dav4]

Nice virt...unfortunately, it won't work with this tree. In your virt, the branches making the apex and the lower right part of the canopy just don't exist in reality. That's the beautiful thing about manipulating a 2 dimensional picture on a computer verses actually working the material in front of you...you can magically place branches wherever you want them, in whatever shape you would like them to be. Still, I appreciate the effort....friend.

 

[A Random User]

Nice virt...unfortunately, it won't work with this tree. In your virt, the branches making the apex and the lower right part of the canopy just don't exist in reality. That's the beautiful thing about manipulating a 2 dimensional picture on a computer verses actually working the material in front of you...you can magically place branches wherever you want them, in whatever shape you would like them to be. Still, I appreciate the effort....friend.

Well obviously I can't see where every branch is on your tree...
The virt was mainly a concept idea to demonstrate that one
could still obtain the tight, compact foilage that you are looking for
and at the same time have similar matching movement in the
branches as the roots do, as well as less formal.

Here is a side by side guide of what you have, that I can see, in
your photo, and where I have them in mine...



Now obviously, you don't have to do it exactly like I have it here,
you don't even have to do it at all... It's your tree.
But, it demonstrates another route.
Good Luck.

 

[Dav4]

Again, the material, in three dimensions, won't allow me to style it as laid out in your virt. As seen in the picture, branch number 8 doesn't come from the main trunk, but actually grows off the top of the right deadwood trunk. There is no way to move the foliage there even remotely like you have done, and, in my opinion, your design will only work with that branch extremely low on the trunk. If the branch stays where it is, the tree really can't be shortened or it will look almost as flat as a pancake. So, my options are to either leave the branch and work with what I have, or lose the branch...I'm keeping the branch for now. Mind you, this tree was only restyled less then 10 months ago...it's still evolving...branches will get fuller, longer and allow for more movement and styling options down the road.

 

[catfish chapstick]

Again, the material, in three dimensions, won't allow me to style it as laid out in your virt. As seen in the picture, branch number 8 doesn't come from the main trunk, but actually grows off the top of the right deadwood trunk. There is no way to move the foliage there even remotely like you have done, and, in my opinion, your design will only work with that branch extremely low on the trunk. If the branch stays where it is, the tree really can't be shortened or it will look almost as flat as a pancake. So, my options are to either leave the branch and work with what I have, or lose the branch...I'm keeping the branch for now. Mind you, this tree was only restyled less then 10 months ago...it's still evolving...branches will get fuller, longer and allow for more movement and styling options down the road.

i like the tree, personally. reminds me of one of those old bristlecones.

 

[Tona]

i totally agree with this statement.

"These facts are not the entire measure of art..." -Andy Rutledge

"As in all arts, bonsai usually conforms to a set of conventions, guidelines, or 'rules'. Rules is probably the worst word of the three to describe what most artists do to create bonsai, but it is the word that most people use. These rules are not cast in stone and are frequently broken..." -Brent Walston

"Hell, there are no rules here; we're trying to accomplish something" -Thomas Edison

LOL

I agree with Catfish and the quotes above. I have trees that others would change, just as I would change their trees due to artistic individuality/license. The suggested guidelines, rules, etc. in my opinion definitely need to be learned, but are just a starting point. Artistic individuality takes over after the basics are learned. Look at "artists" such as Nick Lenz. Most teachers that I have been to, teach these "rules", because they the are the technical aspects of bonsai and can be physically demonstrated as in wiring, crossing branches, left,right and back branches and pruning techniques etc. Artistic individuality needs to be experienced by appreciating trees in nature as well as other bonsai trees and may even be impossible to teach.
My humble opinion,
Tona

Tona

 

[Tona]

Oh, and Andy's book is a great read!!
Tona

 

[Tona]

Oh, and I like the tree as it is. Look forward to the progression.
Tona