BRANCH-TRUNK MOVEMENT

[MelaQuin]

Developing a pleasing bonsai is a lot about movement: The trunk has to have movement and the branches have to have movement to remove any static ‘clothes horse’ element from the tree. Even formal uprights must fall into this guideline so they don’t resemble telephone poles with the stiff cross pieces.
The problem with a lot of styling for movement is the enthusiast is so keen to do the right thing and get movement into the tree that the branches or apex are wired to look like corkscrews. The result too often is that the trunk and the branches look like actors on the same stage reading lines for different plays.

octopus olive.JPG

The movement of the branches must compliment the movement of the trunk. If the trunk is fairly rigid the branches should have soft movement; enough movement to soften the straightness of the trunk, not excessive movement to look incompatible. If the trunk is really shapely then the branches can reflect this with more movement. Even this has to be watched as excessive branch shaping can bring visual confusion while gentle shaping can compliment a graceful trunk without overwhelming it.

Privet Curvy TB.jpg

Casurina T-B moderate movement.jpg

There is also a difference in branches wired for movement and getting a tree wherein ‘clip and grow’ or natural growth have created branches of sharp angles and directional changes. No artist can replicate the intricacies of nature and the sharpness of some of the natural branch movement will compliment the trunk because of its very nature. There is also a visual difference seeing sharply angled branches on a straightish trunk as opposed to wavy branches on a straightish trunk.

Olive Euro straightish-natural jigs.jpg

In some instances overshaping is done to bring a branch from a wrong position to a more desired position but it can be hard to disguise the source of the branch so it could be more advisable to take a longer term view, cut back hard and hope the tree will shoot a branch in a more suitable position.

Working with plants at workshops it appears that over shaping is a common tendency in newer enthusiasts. One a personal basis, it took me years to finally see/realise what I was doing and then break the habit.

I find photography is the best start to identify and amend inappropriate branch movement. Faults are much more blatant in a photograph and therefore harder to avoid seeing. So view your collection with fresh vision and see if your branch wiring is compatible with the tree’s trunk and makes an all over pleasing impression. If not, you have work to do.

Trident Trunk modest movement.jpg

[Jamie]

very interesting topic mel! and completely spot on, this is something i have learned over the past few months, bending in branching is definately important that refelects the trunkline but i also think introducing extram movement to branches to finish the overall look of the tree in the sense of compression bending can be helpful!

just quickly not picking on your privet either i can see lots of effort has been put in and as you say it may not have bar branching but i think that lower right branch is coming from the inner curve of a trunk? yes? but it could be the picture too! pictures tell a differnet story to what we see, i can get quite frustrated with them actually, they show the tiniest imperfections so it is definately a good idea to take pics of your trees and go over them, then look at the tree to see where problems lie. they having a funny way in that sense!


cheers

jamie

[Greth]

I think that branch needs to be there, Jamie. Trunk would be way too bare without it.

[Ellen]

Thanks for this post. Will give me, a beginner, something to think about. I would like to read more tips like this one.

[MelaQuin]

The privet branch is not really on the inside of the curve. Let's say in actual viewing it all works in graceful harmony and the tree 'dances' .. which is why I have named her 'Fontaine' after Margot Fontaine, the famous ballerina.

Fontaine 2005-01.jpg

This is one of my early trees. I collected 'the' tree and cut this rooted 'branch' off the back of the main tree. The removal scar is healing over and should be finally gone in a year or so and Fontaine remains one of the stalwart bonsai in my collection. She is typical of privets in pots.... the trunk was this size when I removed her from the parent in 2001. If it has thickened it is minute.

Why the silly photo flipped I don't know but I don't have time to sort it out now.

[Jamie]

mel, that does show it a lot clearer it was probably just the angle of the pic! and dont get me wrong i wasnt picking on the tree, i find it quite appealing if i had something like that in my collection i would be happy, right now i barely have anything worthy of a bonsai pot let alone to that standard alot of my trees are in training stages and growing on to get the branch choice and all of the above :rolls:

in this pick is shows more that it is splitting from the trunk then a branch coming out of the trunk. which i think can be related to a similar topic of taking pics of trees thats been recent?


cheers mel.

great topic

jamie

[Psymo]

I'm very interested in this too, I think i'm getting it. MelaQuin your talking about finding a rhythm in the individual tree and continuing that rhythm from root to branch tip, refining it over time, resulting in a more natural peice. It's like every speicem has a different scenario so care needs to be taken from the start not to add a fixed idea to every tree. Enhancing what beauty already exists in the tree, branch-trunk movement complement each other .

[kcpoole]

Nice privet
as we have singled this ne out for discussion , I think that RH branch needs to be there as you say, but shodu be lowered slightly to provide some "negative space" between it and the one above?
You have a bit of space between all other branches but not that one.

Ken

[craigw60]

My understanding is that a trees trunk line dictates the movement and positioning of its branches. If a tree has a curved trunk then it follows that the branches should also be curved right out to the twigs. It therefore follows if the trunk is straight the branches should flow straight out from the trunk. If a tree has a thick trunk then the branches should be long, therefore if the trunk is thin it should have short branches. Trees that lean should have branches of differing lengths on either side ie, if your tree leans to the left then the left hand side branches should be longer than those on the right side and visa versa. It is worth remembering that as a tree ages the curves will soften so when its young it is not such a bad thing to make the curves a little extreme keeping in mind the long term development of the tree. Bonsai is all about being able to look into the future.

[MelaQuin]

Bonsai is about all of the above two comments and then overridden by each individual tree and the song it sings to you. It has been my experience that trying to make branches really curvy because the trunk is curvy can confuse the design because too much is going on. Sometimes it will work, often it won't. That's why photos are so good because they are so very BRUTAL and really highlight any fault. But therein lies a value. Most people see the tree eye to eye so the stylist can alter, amend and adapt with the help of a photo and can get away with something very wrong that can turn out right on a particular tree. That's why there is more insistence on calling the 'rules' guidelines. Guidelines tell you how it should be/could be done and give you the latitude on individual trees to enhance what that tree is saying.

If the tree has a stunning trunk, lots of movement or another feature that is eye catching - then it is better to simplify the branch shapes to compliment the trunk rather than styling them like the trunk - art is avoiding too much of a good thing. If a tree is quite straight than putting some movement into the branches can relax the design somewhat. It is a matter of feel and getting with the tree.

It is so true that really good trees can be found on bargain tables because the original owner cannot hear the tree's song. Someone comes by and listens and sees what can be done. It's one of the joys of bonsai. It's why the tree song I recently heard said 'semi cascade' and the tall informal upright was lopped. It was also true that the curvy upper branch structure was totally out of tune with the trunk - one snip and harmony was restored - now the cast of trunk and branches are reading the same script.

[Psymo]

I agree with your opinion on photography as being a valuable tool, just look at the way we use them in designing 'virts' of trees.

It's good to lean 'how' but then understand 'why'. Thanks for your analogy it's fertilized my mind.

[Psymo]

I think i can hear an orchestra outside

[Chris]

Thanks for this post. Will give me, a beginner, something to think about.

I also enjoy this post very nice trees I read on and learn

[EdwardH]

Great post Mel. I really enjoyed reading this. Far to often we exaggerate things to try and make the tree look more natural and only end up with a very unsatisfying contrived look.