Possibly one of the most important things that I try to do with my trees is to plan what they will look like in a few years. Whether I do this mentally or on paper or in the computer, this is an important part of the bonsai process. When I first acquire a tree it is usually because I have seen it and found some potential in it that the current owner did not see, or did not care to take the time to execute.

Sketching the future is my preferred way to record my thoughts since just thinking about it tends to allow my mind to alter what I had planned as time goes by. I have used Photoshop to alter photos of trees in the past, however this tends to look messy compared to a sketch; but, for those who do not want to try sketching, it is somewhat faster and easier.

In the case of this pine, which I bought last year, there is a long road to bonsai recovery, the tree had not been repotted in a very long time and was nearing death. The foliage has grown far away from the base of the trunk because the tree was kept in a shaded location and never rotated or moved. The recovery of the tree begins with repotting and two years of heavy fertilization and proper watering and sunlight. Once it is healthy I will graft branches back toward the trunk and then spend many years on the growth and refinement of those branches. Particularly in the case of grafting, where you can place a future branch almost anywhere you desire, it is important to have some idea of your destination. I started by mentally considering what style the tree should be and settled on either informal upright or slant. The size of the base of the tree and the proportion of that to the height dictates that the tree cannot be bunjin, which is the major reason that grafting is required; but I still want the tree to resemble a high mountain tree, not a lowland tree, which are larger and have a more lush canopy.

Even though I do not consider it bunjin, this could still be a tall tree, but sketching out the possibilities will give me a better idea of what it might look like. At left is my first attempt, which looks like a very tall tree. Keeping the branches shorter and letting the top go up a little while keeping it skinny would lend to the feeling of height. This informal upright version leaves the viewer with a sense of balance and longevity; the tree is quite old, and is going to be around for some time to come.
On the right is my second sketch. This verson is a little shorter with fuller pads of foliage and a broader crown. Notice the corresponding jin in both these two sketches and the one below. This is slant style since the crown is not centered over the base, this version of the tree feels more dynamic and slightly more exciting than the first version.

My final sketch below, which I believe is as close as I’ve gotten to a good design for the tree is a more traditional design approach. The size of the base seems to dictate the use of a large rounded crown and full foliage pads in order to strike a balance between the trunk and the crown. This slant style version feels a little more mature and fuller than the previous one.

For only one tree I have made three sketches. I could do more possiblilities, but these three will get me through the grafting phase, after which the tree will have some say in what it ends up looking like.

Sketching is an important tool, one which I never thought I could use effectively until I decided to try. I actually have John Thompson to thank, as I watched him sketch the future of a demo tree at a Sei Boku meeting my imagination was sparked and I resolved to go home and start practicing. Come to the August 2006 meeting and ask John about sketching, oaks and anything else you can think of. Then start sketching your own trees, you’ll be surprised how much it sparks you imagination and improves your bonsai.

Tag: sketching