Get the horticultiure down first with cork bark Japanese Black Pines as they quite a bit fussier and sensitive compared to regular Japanese Black Pines. You're in zone 5 like me so you're going to have to protect them from our winters. Keep them above 25 degrees fahrenheit, don't overwater, and give them lots of sun and heat in the summer. You don't even want to focus on styling right now, just learn how to make it as happy as can be.
Realize that these guys put most of their energy into their bark so root issues can creep up on you fairly quickly. They can be iffy to decandle unless growing very, very strongly and even then it varies from variety to variety.
Best of luck and ask questions.