Hourglass trunk line or negative taper ?

[Paulneill]

I have noiced many trees in nature with negative taper where the main trunk branches off into sub trunks. Giving the trunk an hour glass shape
Especially eg. large maples and liquid ambers .
Like those cartoon pictures you get of trees that nearly always have this hourglass shape

So is it negative taper if it's done right?
I'm aware that in bonsai we exaggerate trunk taper to compensate for there small stature and also have never seen a good bonsai with this but I believe it can be done well to give the impression of a natural tree.

I would like to here any views on this . Has anyone else thought about this ?
I'm definatly going to shape a few of my trees this way.

[shibui]

Yes many trees do grow naturally with inverse taper. The problem with inverse taper in bonsai is that it interferes with the flow up the trunk - Our eyes are attracted to the largest part of the view (the pot and base of the tree) and flow up the trunk to the crown. Any thickened area attracts the eye too soon and disturbs the view.

You are certainly welcome to try this in your bonsai, just do not be surprised that it creates some uneasiness in the viewer.

[Scott Roxburgh]

I too agree that inverse taper happens in trees in nature. I don't use these trees as a guide to how I should style my trees though.

I use the 'ideal' version of the tree as a guide.

It'd be great to see some pictures of trees in nature with inverse taper that you are talking about. I just haven't seen any that I'd use for my trees.

[Paulneill]

Thanks for the input guys I get what u are saying
After all It is one of the rules In bonsai to have taper from the base up.
We see bar branches and crossing branching In nature also
And don't see anyone trying to replicate that .
Might not bother trying it now .

[kcpoole]

never really thought of it before, but many of the eucalypts found here have wider thrunks where the branching starts and where you 2 branches from a similar spot then the do thicken there

Ken

[Olivecrazy]

Thanks for the input guys I get what u are saying
After all It is one of the rules In bonsai to have taper from the base up.
We see bar branches and crossing branching In nature also
And don't see anyone trying to replicate that .
Might not bother trying it now .

You will find that bar branches an inverse taper really stand out on bonsai an is normally be the first thing you notice on a tree. Crossing branches are a little different as some tree styles eg wind swept can use them well .

[Andrew Legg]

The way I see bonsai is an artistic recreation of what we see in nature, so with that said, and emphasis on the "artistic" part, that means that we draw on the principles of flow, movement, perspective, rhythm and other design principles to ensure that our trees have an "optimised" look to them. As I understand it, this is the background to the no inverse taper rule. On the other hand, if you delve more into what I call expressionist bonsai, where there the balance tips more toward purveying a message (sometimes extreme), then inverse taper, bar branches etc. could potentially be successfully employed to a specific end.

Blimey, did I just write all that???

I've seen some beautiful bonsai that have bar branches, and I've seen some lovely ones with inverse taper as well. It's just difficult to get it right!