big black pune, wich front to choose

[Adair M]

Dirk:

Here are my thoughts on styling this tree:

The lower section of the trunk is pretty straight. The upper section has some curves. The general rule I go by is if the trunk is straight, the branches are straight. If the trunk is curvy, the branches should be curvy. In your case, the bottom is straight, but the top is curvy. So, I'd keep the lower branches straight, but lower them a lot more. Bringing them down brings the foliage in closer to the trunk. Up where the trunk has more movement, then the branches should have more movement, too.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Thank you very much for your input Adair.
The first branch was going up 45 degrees then down. I managed to lower it to near horizontal with a clamp and guy wire. I did that last spring. I a few months the guy wire had bitten into the trunk severely.

Copper wire is to thin for the main branches. I know. I'll redo or ad another wire. It's just my luck that the trunk isn't curvy were I'm not able to put movement in the branches....

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Ah! So he wants to do Fig 8:

View attachment 131185

It's a valid technique. Hammer a Little Rock in the V to help keep it in position.

I noticed you've been using copper. That's good, but it looks a little undersized on the main branches.

The technique I'd recommend isn't Fig 8. It doesn't look like that's required. Instead I'd do this:

View attachment 131187

Fig 16. Tie a piece of rebar to the bottom of the branch. Be sure to leave a 1/2 inch gap between the end of the rebar and the trunk so it can lower. The rebar keeps the branch straight and not make a rainbow. Be sure to pad where you tie the rebar. The trick is to pull the rebar down, not the branch.

Is this from John Naka's book Bonsai Techniques?

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

For pines you can pull the branch down until it cracks open near the trunk so you have a more acute angle, cutting there with a saw helps but makes it unnatural. The bending down on the photo was good. I don't mind that the first portion is a bit pointing upward when the next section is bend dramatically down like in your example, but ideally it would be angled near the base. When the rubber pad is not sufficient i place a wire mesh (used while repotting to cover the holes) extra under the wire, it is stronger. Thinking of it now a small piece of pvc tube might work too.

 

[Adair M]

Is this from John Naka's book Bonsai Techniques?

No, those are handouts Boon uses with his students. They're from a Japanese book.

Naka used the crack the branch and insert pebble technique when he created Goshin.

 

[Woody Carverton]

Love that mesh box, looks way simpler to build than what we have been doing in the past. Thanks for the pic...... Off to the workshop to try to make a few myself.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

One time number 8 from Boon's menu....
Next step in the development of this pine.
I begin to like it more and more

 

[DirkvanDreven]

I can't wait to work my pine again, but have to.
Pulling old needles, reducing new needles and wiring tips out flat.
I do so much like the way this tree is progressing!

 

[LanceMac10]

Healthy looking pune!!!

 

[DirkvanDreven]

Healthy looking pune!!!

For a Pune it is very healthy indeed!

 

[A. Gorilla]

Oh, this is a conventional bonsai discussion. I thought...

Never mind.

 

[Adair M]

I can't wait to work my pine again, but have to.
Pulling old needles, reducing new needles and wiring tips out flat.
I do so much like the way this tree is progressing!

Looking good!

I'm not sure you're going to need to keep the first (lowest) branch on the right. It's on the inside of a curve. The drop branch on the right drops a little too much, and is a little too straight. I think I would like to see the lowest section bent towards the front, and at a less steep angle. That would lift it up a little. Right now, the bottom foliage of that branch is almost at the same level as the first branch on the left.

But it's looking really good!

 

[M. Frary]

Bushy pune!
Maybe a Brazilian type trim for a big black pune is in order.

 

[BeebsBonsai]

I think I like the after workshop pic but with a 30 degree counter-clockwise rotation. The left movement a lot are talking about is nice too. I just feel like that after workshop pic, but hiding less of the trunk, is a good line. Again, that is my opinion, please do not design to anyone else's preference but your own. I hope to see more photos of this tree in a few years.

 

[Giga]

I can't wait to work my pine again, but have to.
Pulling old needles, reducing new needles and wiring tips out flat.
I do so much like the way this tree is progressing!

I do to - I love to get right in there and work that pune, but atlas you can only work it so much.