Making a lightning strike jin

[Matte91]

Hello.

I was wondering which tools/which tecnique you think I should use, to make a large jin on a fat apex to make it look like a lightning strike?

Ax, chain saw, carving tools, or regular jin tools.

Picture one is my tree. The other pictures are inspiration.

 

[Shogun610]

Take it out to a field and put a 7ft tall metal rod right next to it. JK.. I think your got a ways to go before looking into Jin creation. Focus on development the branches that will be left behind first , then worry about making a Jin.

 

[penumbra]

I don't really care much for the trees you picture for inspiration. The first one in particular is too excessive and detracts from the tree itself with its long dead telephone pole, IMO.
The larch is more pleasing to me.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I don't really care much for the trees you picture for inspiration. The first one in particular is too excessive and detracts from the tree itself with its long dead telephone pole, IMO.
The larch is more pleasing to me.

I agree! Make sure you chose photos from real life for your inspiration - because then your bonsai will look believable. Don't make a Franken-bonsai just because you can.

In terms of your project, I would use blades and scorps. Blades can be anything from your handy Swiss Army knife to an Ex-Acto knife to a box cutter. Important thing is that they are sharp. Scorp is a wood carving tool that scoops out wood on the draw cut... ie as you pull towards you. Great for removing bark and refining deadwood as long as you pull away from the tree.

 

[PonderingSage:]

Use root a root cutter or concave cutter and break away chunks and tear/roll down.

 

[Hartinez]

Make your bonsai in the vision you like best. Nothing wrong with bonsai being styled to look like bonsai, and there is nothing wrong with bonsai beings styled to look like trees. If the above trees are your inspo, and is what your going for, then go for it! It doesn’t hurt to look at natural examples, but this shit is all subjective, and ultimately, the objective, is to make ourselves happy. If we design trees that others and ourselves like, then that’s just an added bonus.

when I do jin/Shari/deadwood creation, I use my jin pliers, some wood carving tools and a dremel from time to time. I prefer the tear away method than an electric tools personally, but it’s probably because I feel my dremel work is always contrived and forced.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I usually just use a jin pliers. Grab a small amount of bark at the top, and pull, tear, down towards yourself. The smaller the bite and the longer the pull, the more natural the shari will look.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Make your bonsai in the vision you like best. Nothing wrong with bonsai being styled to look like bonsai, and there is nothing wrong with bonsai beings styled to look like trees. If the above trees are your inspo, and is what your going for, then go for it! It doesn’t hurt to look at natural examples, but this shit is all subjective, and ultimately, the objective, is to make ourselves happy. If we design trees that others and ourselves like, then that’s just an added bonus.

when I do jin/Shari/deadwood creation, I use my jin pliers, some wood carving tools and a dremel from time to time. I prefer the tear away method than an electric tools personally, but it’s probably because I feel my dremel work is always contrived and forced

I always wonder when I read posts like this... what's the point? If there is no objective, and the only thing you are trying to accomplish is to make yourself happy, why even come here for advice? Do what you want - it doesn't matter what it looks like - as long as you are happy that's all that matters! Use the tools that make you happiest! Don't worry about whether your work is contrived and forced... because it doesn't matter to anyone but yourself! So ignore it!

Just make sure no one ever comes over and sees your oil paintings...

 

[Shogun610]

I always wonder when I read posts like this... what's the point? If there is no objective, and the only thing you are trying to accomplish is to make yourself happy, why even come here for advice? Do what you want - it doesn't matter what it looks like - as long as you are happy that's all that matters! Use the tools that make you happiest! Don't worry about whether your work is contrived and forced... because it doesn't matter to anyone but yourself! So ignore it!

Just make sure no one ever comes over and sees your oil paintings...

I respect your opinion, and I think there is a spectrum of bonsai styles enthusiast pursue. But by that logic then everyone should just throw out their non native species used in Bonsai because there are no natural examples in the wild in the United States. I think what @Hartinez was after was to be inspired off what this individual was moved by natural or an idealized artist’s expression , not stating that there aren’t rules , basics or standards people need to master before breaking the mold.

 

[Hartinez]

I always wonder when I read posts like this... what's the point? If there is no objective, and the only thing you are trying to accomplish is to make yourself happy, why even come here for advice? Do what you want - it doesn't matter what it looks like - as long as you are happy that's all that matters! Use the tools that make you happiest! Don't worry about whether your work is contrived and forced... because it doesn't matter to anyone but yourself! So ignore it!

Just make sure no one ever comes over and sees your oil paintings...

Wonder on Greg! There is an objective. As a matter of fact, he posted pictures of his objective. His question was, “what tools would achieve his objective”, not, “are my examples the correct ones to look at?”. All good to include our own opinions on wether the chosen examples are what we like or not, you know, cause its a public forum. But, yes, I do Bonsai for ME, but clearly I care what YOU think, or I wouldn’t post. Can’t say that’s why everyone posts here, buts why I do. But if you don’t like my trees or the examples I was using, then it’s whatever for me. I’ll take your comments, inject them where necessary and do nothing where necessary. I’ve been in the creating/art game for a long time, with more critiques of my work than I could shake a stick at. If there is anything I’ve learned, it’s to not compromise my own vision for the sake of others, ESPECIALLY, if it’s not our living. If it is your living, then that’s another subject entirely. I do love hearing others opinions though. Makes me think and makes my work better, unless one's opinion is just salty, then I don’t care.

 

[penumbra]

Kinda gotten away from things it seems.
But seriously I was just stating an opinion, that's all. But to be more frank, that first example is ugly as hell.... to me.

 

[Hartinez]

Kinda gotten away from things it seems.
But seriously I was just stating an opinion, that's all. But to be more frank, that first example is ugly as hell.... to me.

Haha. Not my intention. Just wanted him to know his examples were fine if it’s what spoke to him. Not my cup of tea either, but I wouldn’t necessarily say ugly IMO. But your ugly and my ugly are not the same!

 

[penumbra]

I get it. But still butt ugly to me. Love to see a poll. Probably most people would side with you.

 

[Shogun610]

I get it. But still butt ugly to me. Love to see a poll. Probably most people would side with you.

Idk dawg , if I had a tree like this I’d be stoked

 

[Matte91]

Thank you all for your comments. I usually use the method that Leo and ponderingsage described and will probably use the same again.

Regarding the inspiration pictures, I have not decided how my jin is going to be. I look at many inspiration pictures and will choose a solution that fits my tree the best, to make it as look as realistic as possible. I always try to make my trees look like trees in the nature. Here is some more inspiration pictures.

 

[Shibui]

Bark will peel off easily and cleanly but only if the trunk is alive and growing. During dormant period cambium growth slows and the bark does not come off clean. Within a few days of sap flow stopping cambium growth stops and bark does not come off easily. In both cases you'll need to scrape and fight every inch. Use whatever blade will reach the areas and give results. There are a few Japanese made specialist cutters and scrapers for this.
I try to remove bark while the tree is fresh and growing so do it when the branches are first cut back. In good growing condition the bark will usually peel off in sheets like a banana skin. Make sure you cut around the limits of area to be jinned or you may find the entire trunk stripped accidentally. Squeezing the bark or tapping with a hammer can often help the bark release from the wood below.

Carving the wood is another thing all together and depends more on how fine detail you want to achieve, how big the trunk is and how much wood is to be removed.
Split and pull down can give natural results by following the grain of the wood.
Chainsaw is OK to remove bulk wood in large projects but please be aware of the dangers of kickback. Chainsaws can be lethal when used for carving.
Die grinder bits and arbortech carving disk are useful to remove bulk wood.
Dremel and other brand rotary tool are Ok for detail work but don't remove bulk very well.
Hand tools - chisels, gouges, etc have been used for years before power carving tools. Some people prefer hand tools for control but I find them tedious. Try some and see how they work and whether you have the patience.

As far as I'm concerned there's no one 'best' tool. Horses for courses so It depends.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

But, yes, I do Bonsai for ME, but clearly I care what YOU think, or I wouldn’t post.

No, that wasn't my point. Perhaps I was just having a bad night last night, but I usually conflate "all that matters is that you're happy" with "it doesn't matter".

It's like when people make pots and they do a crappy job, and they know they did a crappy job, and people say "as long as you're happy with it" as a nice way of saying... you could do better, and I wouldn't want it, but it's all subjective and as long as you're happy with it that's all that matters.

Sounds like I am quoting directly from from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as far as trying to express the concept of 'quality' when applied to the practice of bonsai. And if it sounds like a personal attack, it is not intended to be. Rather you should always try to do a quality job

 

[rockm]

It IS all subjective, up to the point where you display it for OTHERS to see. Then it becomes not-so-subjective.

I want to make EFFECTIVE bonsai-- trees that strike a chord with others beside myself. No, I'm not exhibiting or looking for prizes (which isn't going to happen anyway). I'm looking to communicate something with another person (or optimally LOTS of people), not myself. It think all "successful" bonsai do that. It is pretty much the point of doing this "art." "Successful" trees don't have to create some "story" (made up and known mostly only to their creator) to back them up (As in "this tree was originally VERY VERY VERY tall, then BAM, lighting hit it, now it's mostly a VERY VERY VERY tall pole with some added foliage at the bottom).

Tree plantings like Goshin, whose trees have "lightning struck" tops that are not dramatic, but in perspective with overall composition. The trees in that planting are self-explanatory. They invite OTHERS to invent their own story for the visual--which can be much more varied because there is no distracting single obvious point that needs to be incorporated into that narrative. Subtlety is a key to bonsai that some miss.

That is why I find exaggerations like some of the more exaggerated example trees here contrived and a little desperate. They rely on a single outlandish feature to define them, rather than having the confidence in the overall composition. They scream one note to the viewer, instead of a complete tune.

 

[Gabler]

Subtlety is a key to bonsai that some miss.

I think your emphasis on subtlety reflects a refined palette. Drawing an analogy to beverages, your taste in bonsai is like a taste for fine wine or a well-aged single malt whiskey. If you prefer an analogy to music, perhaps classical music or jazz rather than pop or EDM.

And yet Bud Light continually outsells “better” beverages, and pop is popular, hence the name “pop.” Part of that is reflective of cost. A bottle of good wine is the same price as a five-liter box of cheap wine. A four-minute pop song costs less of your time than a full symphony composition (and time is money). But part is reflective of what speaks to the average person. Classical music takes some practice and exposure to fully appreciate. Dry wines are similarly an acquired taste.

I would liken such bold bonsai to modern art. It’s a tree distilled to a single striking feature. A few bold lines across a white canvas. A urinal hung on the wall of a museum gallery. A painter submitting a blank canvas entitled “Take the Money and Run.” It may not have the elegance of a more refined tree, but a lack of refinement is not automatically the same as a lack of taste. I can appreciate the tree for what it is, even if it isn’t the apex of the art form.

 

[Srt8madness]

Take it out to a field and put a 7ft tall metal rod right next to it. JK.. I think your got a ways to go before looking into Jin creation. Focus on development the branches that will be left behind first , then worry about making a Jin.

Dang beat me to it, I was going to make the same smart ass comment