Ficus tiger bark wired and styled

[Driver170]

This is my first ever wiring and styling. What you guys think?

 

[Giga]

pot is too small but looks like a good job.

 

[Driver170]

Yeh its a horrible pot lol its getting repotted once it recovers in my grow room

 

[BobbyLane]

its not the best angle to style or photograph a tree at, try to do this at base level so the back of pot just comes out of view. hard to really judge from the angle, but the crossing branches need fixing, you want negative area between each branch, no crossing or overly straight branches. gotta start somewhere! its ok for a first stab at styling..this wasnt done under guidance from your teacher was it?

 

[Driver170]

Hi cheers for that. Its good to get criticism!

Em, I haven't got any crossing branches as you can see from this birds eye view.

 

[Driver170]

Ok got better shots

 

[BobbyLane]

Its great to take into account how the tree looks from all angles including above. but its your chosen front which is the most important, get that right and the rest more often than not, will fall into place. that means getting some depth and order into the branches. im not a ficus fan, nor do i know much about them, but i think something like this would be a good starting point

no crossing bits, movement in the branches, balance....thats the type of thing i would be looking at. and judging by your styling i think you would like this type of thing.
you could possibly do further branch selection here n there as well, i dont think you need as many bar branches as you have. just take your time. you also dont want the gaps too big between your branches. note the tree above

ps not my tree btw, a google image

 

[Vin]

Here's a couple general guidelines with your style of tree that may help. The lowest branches should be the largest in diameter and length because in theory, they are the oldest. They are usually at least level with the ground or even slightly below level because they are supposed to be the heaviest. As the tree grows the higher branches are younger and therefore smaller in diameter and length and begin to point upward. There are always exceptions if it makes sense. Also, we are trying to deceive the viewer by showing age. Your branches should have more undulations; up down and side to side, much like the image that @BobbyLane posted. Those undulations represent age and maturity. All in it's a good start though.

 

[Giga]

Its great to take into account how the tree looks from all angles including above. but its your chosen front which is the most important, get that right and the rest more often than not, will fall into place. that means getting some depth and order into the branches. im not a ficus fan, nor do i know much about them, but i think something like this would be a good starting point

no crossing bits, movement in the branches, balance....thats the type of thing i would be looking at. and judging by your styling i think you would like this type of thing.
you could possibly do further branch selection here n there as well, i dont think you need as many bar branches as you have. just take your time. you also dont want the gaps too big between your branches. note the tree above

ps not my tree btw, a google image

I don't like this style for ficus - they don't grow like pine tree's. The have big chaotic branches that go out and up with a rounded canopy. Though that's my preference and some people like pine style for all tree's.

 

[Driver170]

Thanks guys my teacher wrote back to me about some constructive criticism. Which is great to hear my mistakes etc.

I've corrected some of my mistakes below

 

[Driver170]

Maybe i should raise the back branch up to fill that negative space?

 

[Driver170]

I have raised the back branch (right side) slightly upwards to fill in that negative space on the right

 

[BobbyLane]

looks a little better than before. letting it grow out now will give you further styling options.

 

[M. Frary]

I think you did great for your first style job. Good wiring for the first time too.
The thing with these trees is if you don't like it later you can cut everything off and rebuild it to a different style.

 

[sorce]

Amen. For a first go that's well done!

Sorce

 

[Driver170]

Much appreciated guys. I can only go forward and learn from my mistakes.

 

[Giga]

Much appreciated guys. I can only go forward and learn from my mistakes.

great attitude, I think you'll do well here

 

[shinmai]

That image that BobbyLane posted made me think, If Jabba the Hutt were a ficus, that's what he would look like.