That's pretty much what I do. I just go w/ the natural shape of the tree and think how it would look best. I guess I prune for a year or so down the road. Empty space is important. I try to make layers or "clouds" of leaves. I think that adds to the impression of it being larger than it is.
just like in any art there are fundamentals.. that would be the general style type.. some of the care rules. i think most artists would agree that art fundamentals are merely guidelines but the artist is who makes the cut and the final decision.
i reccomend getting a few books to get started and you will probably get the idea.
the most important thing is keeping the tree alive so i would study up on that by reading forums like bonsaiweb and bonsaitalk
It's not a set process, but it does sort of evolve as you go along. Over time you learn how various species will react, branch, bud etc to being clipped and wired, so you can sort of plan out how things are going to grow. You get a basic idea from the tree's natural shape, but then you apply what you know about the tree's growth patterns to encourage trunk thickening, branch growth, leaf reduction, etc.
But you can't be too locked into a process...a branch can break, pests can attack, there can be freak cold snaps that kill off growth, etc, so you do have to keep an open mind about tree design.
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i think most artists would agree that art fundamentals are merely guidelines but the artist is who makes the cut and the final decision.
i reccomend getting a few books to get started and you will probably get the idea.
the most important thing is keeping the tree alive so i would study up on that by reading forums like bonsaiweb and bonsaitalk
good luck!
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But you can't be too locked into a process...a branch can break, pests can attack, there can be freak cold snaps that kill off growth, etc, so you do have to keep an open mind about tree design.
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