Though I don’t think this has much to do with ‘rules of bonsai,’ I like a well done bonsai drawing and this one qualifies. I found it here. The post is titled ‘?5º Workshop Bonsai Morro Velho.’
Rules or guidelines?
I agree with Brent Walston when he says rules is probably the worst word (below). I would scrap it and just use guidelines.
Anyway whatever word you like, I thought you might find this useful, or interesting, maybe even interesting enough to provoke a comment and start a discussion. I found it on Bonsai Chat Room. It was posted by Irene Britton.
The ‘Rules’ of Bonsai
by Brent Walston
Introduction
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 as the situation demands, but they are excellent guidelines for the creation of beautiful bonsai, and are invaluable to persons learning bonsai. They simplify what otherwise would be a bewildering set of decisions.
These rules mostly come from the Japanese culture of bonsai over the last few centuries. They are an analysis of what ‘works’, and what ‘doesn’t work’ in the creation of bonsai. Almost anyone can create a decent looking bonsai by following these rules, whether or not one has any native talent. That is the beauty of this distillation. Of course, very good bonsai will still depend upon talent, experience, inspiration, and serendipity, as well as a general conformity to the rules of bonsai.
Trunk and Nebari Rules:
1. Height should be six times the caliper of the trunk.
2. Trunk should lean slightly toward the viewer.
3. Trunk should flare at base to visually anchor the plant.
4. Roots should radiate from the flare.
5. No eye-poking roots (directly at viewer).
6. Apex should lean toward viewer.
7. Trunk should taper as it ascends. No reverse taper.
8. Grafts should match understock and scion so that they are unobtrusive, or be placed low enough to disappear into the nebari.
9. Curves in trunk should not result in ‘pigeon breast’ (roundness toward viewer).
10. Apex should finish in the direction set by the base. ‘Flow’ should be maintained.
11. Trunk line should not move ‘back on itself’. This is one of my rules and difficult to explain. It relates to the flow of the tree. A trunk line that moves back on itself creates a ‘C’ curve.
12. For formal and informal upright, the apex should be over the base.
13. In informal uprights, too many ‘S’ curves will be tiresome.
14. As a tree ascends the curves should be closer together (related to branch placement).
15. A tree should have only one apex.
16. Twin tree trunks should divide at the base, not higher up.
Branches:
1. No crossing branches, or branches that cross the trunk.
2. No eye-poking branches (pointed directly at viewer).
3. First branch should be placed approximately one third the height of the tree.
4. Succeeding branches placed at one third the remaining distance to the top of the tree.
5. Branches go on the outside of the curves (No belly branches).
6. Branch caliper should be in proportion to the trunk. Branches that are thicker than one third the trunk caliper will be too thick.
7. First branch should be left (or right), second branch right (or left), third branch should be back branch.
8. Branches should visually alternate, no parallel branches.
9. Branches should diminish in size and caliper as they ascend.
10. There should be space between the branches to ‘Let the birds fly through’.
11. First and second branches (Left and Right branches) should be placed forward of the mid line to ‘invite’ the viewer.
12. First, second, and third branches are approximate 120 degrees apart, with the back branch not directly behind the tree.
13. Only one branch per trunk position, no ‘wheel and spoke’ or whorled branches, or bar branches (branches directly opposite each other).
14. Branches should create an outline of a scalene triangle with the apex representing God, the middle corner man and the lower corner earth.
15. Secondary branches should alternate left and right and follow the rules of main branch placement, except there should be no secondary branches moving up or down. This creates the foliage pad.
16. To create the illusion of an old tree, wire the branches down. Young trees have ascending branches. The branches near and in the apex can be horizontal or ascend since this is the young part of the tree.
17. Branches for cascades generally follow the rules for uprights, except that the trunk moves down.
18. In twin trees, there should not be branches between the trees which would cross the trunks. The outside branches of both trees creates the triangle of foliage.
19. A jin should not be hidden in foliage.
Pots:
1. The tree should be placed behind the mid line of the pot, and to the left or right of the center line.
2. The depth of the pot should be the caliper of the trunk, except for cascades.
3. Colored glazed pots should be used for flowering and fruiting trees and the colors should complement the flower color.
4. The width of the pot should two thirds the height of the tree. For very short trees, the width should be two thirds the spread of the tree.
5. Style of the pot should match the tree. Uprights without much movement should be in rectangular pots, informal uprights with a lot of trunk movement should be in oval or round pots. Massive trees should be in deep rectangular pots.
Culture:
1. Soils should be uniform, not layered. (New rule, you will still find controversy).
2. Fertilize full strength. (New rule, there will be controversy).
3. Water from above, not by submerging the bonsai, this will prevent the buildup of salts.
4. Increase humidity by using a tray of pebbles and water or by keeping the area under the bench wet, not by misting. (This is my rule, there will be controversy. Misting increases the salt buildup on the leaves, and does practically nothing to raise humidity.)
5. Remove most of the ‘fines’ from any soil mix, using only coarse particles.
6. Water when the plants need to be watered, not by a fixed schedule.
7. Keep temperate climate plants outside. Only tropical and subtropical plants (for the most part) are suitable for indoor bonsai. Temperate climate plants must be given an appropriate period of cold dormancy if they are to be kept indoors.
And finally
John Naka’s book Bonsai Techniques I, 1973, Bonsai Institute of California, is by far the best treatise on the ‘rules’ of bonsai that I have found. Anyone can create convincing bonsai by following these conventions. Once they are mastered, you can begin to create without thinking about ‘rules’.
Brent Walston’s company is Evergreen Gardenworks.
Although most bonsai books go over the rules, usually with photos, It was interesting to see them condensed and listed here.
Dennis Morgan
Thanks Dennis.
Yeah, and it’s a pretty thorough list.
Of all of these “rules”, I really struggle with the very first rule. The height should be 6 times the caliper of the trunk. I’ve never understood this guideline, particularly for use in North America. when I observe trees in the ground, they never reach these proportions. I admit that the guideline creates a fine aesthetic, however, I have seen plenty of beautifull trees bonsai or not, that stray far a wide from the 6 to 1 rule.
Matt
I believe the 6:1 rule is designed as a artistic ‘point of view’ If you were to observe a tree at close range, the trunk would appear about 6 to 10 larger than the height. Since one normally studies bonsai at close distances, it would make sense to increase the proportions to something around 6:1.
Also I believe one is not usually designing a bonsai as a normal everyday run of the mill tree, it is a ‘special’ tree and need to be more dramatic. I know when I work my trees down to less than 10:1 they ALWAYS look better to me … and that’s what’s really important.
Just my 2 cents worth, and likely worth slightly less than that!
I agree with Matt. I long to create a formal upright that evokes the proportions of a grand redwood or a middle-aged Douglas-fir like those that fill our forests here in Oregon.
Perhaps it’s because it’s American to want to defy rules, but I am most drawn to bonsai that evoke a sense of drama and movement and play to the quirk of the tree. Bonsai that evoke “bonsai” more than “tree” bore me.
As to the author’s “rules,” there’s a lot of presumptions there. Fertilize full strength only if you have an inorganic, super-fast-draining soil. Add humidity if you live in a dry climate, and perhaps only for smaller bonsai (shohin, mame) that dry out quickly. Misting the leaves will leave deposits of salt if the city water supply you have is mineral-laden–more typical in a warm-weather, dry climate like Southern California, or near the beach, where water nearly always tastes sucky from all the additives. And I understand that azaleas get deeper pots than other bonsai.
I would also add that a “great bonsai” is aided but not made by the rules. There are difficult-to-describe aspects of expressiveness that separate a good bonsai from a great one. Which is why with collected juniper bonsai, the nebari guideline is often waived. The species doesn’t often develop major nebari but the drama of the deadwood and contrast with living veins more than makes up for it.
Shame, shame Wayne! I just read Dan Robinson’s “Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees.” In it, Dan credits you in the book for being instrumental in encouraging him to put out this book even after his previous effort at writing a book was never finished. The prologue is by Walter Pall (someone else who also does not follow the rules). I would rather have either of these artists trees in my collection than much of the stuff you see in the Kokufu Ten. These do not look like real trees in nature (defying John Naka’s edict that “Your bonsai should not look like bonsai, your bonsai should look like a tree.”). I for one am tired of triangles, and only one apex, and no low branches, need I go on…
I agree with Owen – the “rules” are a starting point. But I prefer to look at my trees to see “what they want to be,” rather than follow a strict formula (although I agree with “no eye-pokers,” but usually they bother me anyway and get removed.) I too enjoyed Dan Robinson’s book. Carolyn
Thanks Matt,
Hmmm, lots of comments to catch up on. Well, I asked for it.
I think there are several ‘rules’ one could take issue with and the 6 to 1 certainly needs a critical look. I’d say, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. As far as comparison to trees in nature, bonsai often exaggerates natural features. In this case taper. Tall trees in nature taper much more gradually than most bonsai ever could. With bonsai, you end up with a foreshortened look that, when well done, can communicate a feeling of a powerful tree in nature, without trying to replicate the exact ratios.
Thanks for you insights Rick,
Yes. I should have read your comment before I replied to Matt. Anyway, I think we are saying pretty much the same thing.
Thanks Al,
When it comes to your redwood, I think you’ll have to settle for the foreshortened look. You could come closer to precise proportions with a giant sequoia, but with a coast redwood or Douglas fir, you’re going to be stuck with something like 6 to 1, rather than natures 20 or 30 to 1.
I agree about the presumptions, eg azaleas are shallow rooted, so why a deeper pot? Still, overall I think most of the rules have some use. As you say, ‘a great bonsai is aided but not made by the rules.’
I think I might go a step further and speculate that many great bonsai are styled without any reference to ‘the rules.’
Thanks Owen. Yeah, I pretty much agree with the part about rules and Dan Robinson presents vividly powerful examples throughout his bonsai collection. In his case, nature dictates the rules.
As far as Kokufu goes, well, I still have lots of respect for what the Japanese are up too. It’s different for sure and whenever things become too established, there always the risk of stagnation. Nevertheless, most of the trees still move me. My view is that you don’t have to reject the traditional to embrace the more contemporary (or the conservative to embrace the more innovative).
Thanks Carolyn,
Yes, eye pokers almost never work. And your ‘what they want to be’ approach is squarely in the John Naka, Dan Robinson tradition.
I think the rules are important for anyone just starting in bonsai to learn. Without these guidelines to get you started, it’s easy to become overwhelmed not knowing where to start or what to look for. This usually leads to the beginner becoming frustrated and takes all the fun and excitement out of the new hobby and leaves them much less likely to want to continue. With the understanding of some basic rules, one usually feels more confident and is probably more likely to want to keep learning and continue the hobby. Then, with a greater understanding of what works and what doesn’t and why, one begins to develop their own style, which may or may not adhere to the “rules”.
Thanks Dave,
Yes. I agree. I remember when I first tried to figure out what makes a bonsai work, I was at a loss. I knew I liked what I saw, but wasn’t at all sure about how to do it myself. Then I read John Naka’s Bonsai Techniques (it’s best when it comes to explaining the rules/guidelines) and a few other books and things opened up.
Marco Invernizzi spoke today to our club in Portland, Oregon, and suggested that the rules per se are more for conifers than deciduous species. (Marco was one of Masahiko Kimura’s apprentices.) He exhorts us (and I agree with him) not to make our deciduous trees look like conifers.
One thing I’d like to see (on both deciduous and coniferous bonsai): rounded crowns. In many pine species (Ponderosa in particular) as well as most any deciduous species, a rounded crown in indicative of age, maturity.
Thanks Al,
Any photos of Marco at work? How many people attended? Did you advertise?
I wonder if someone could come up with rules (guidelines) for deciduous trees. And then there are larches; deciduous conifers. Interestingly (to me, at least) I’ve been rounding the crowns of most of my in-the-ground larches (I don’t have any in pots right now, I travel too much).
In my experience, one of the biggest differences between conifers and deciduous is: with deciduous, fine filigreed branching is almost essential if you want high quality trees (there might be some exceptions with flowering trees), while this is less important with conifers. This is particularly important during winter dormancy when you can see just how refined the fine branching is.
Another difference is nebari. Most massive (sometimes overdone) nebari are on deciduous trees.