A compilation of notes taken from Mission of Transformation by Robert Steven

by Les Lonsdale

Design Principles for Bonsai – Three aspects to good Bonsai:

• Artistic beauty – aesthetically pleasing while giving a sense of harmony.
• Convincing horticultural clues – ex. tropism (branches growing toward the light, water, etc.) The composition appears to be a logical result of forces of nature.
• Thematic message – ‘a captured moment in nature’, drama, eliciting a mood. The composition should tell a story but perhaps leave a mystery as well. Don’t show everything; leave something for the imagination.

Trees in nature are continually going through one of 3 phases:

• Premature (lacking the qualities of the mature tree)
• Mature (ramification, taper, surface roots, drooping branches, etc.)
• Post mature (jin/shari, uro, sabamiki, etc.)

{Bonsai should represent either the mature or the postmature.}

Conifers should not be styled like deciduous trees and vice versa.

• Conifers – apically dominant, monopodial growth, (excurrent).
• Deciduous – less apically dominant, sympodial growth (decurrent).

*A tree planted in a pot without ramification and artistic beauty is not a bonsai, merely a potted plant.

*Why limbs usually grow on the outside of curves on trees and not on the inside:

When a limb grows out of a tree and produces branches and leaves, the trunk below is shaded, making those cells elongate, forcing the tree to grow in the opposite direction. (the fact is that light slows growth, and cells elongate faster in the shade, so the shady side grows faster, the sunny side grows slower, and the trunk bends away from the shaded section where the limb is growing and bends towards the light. This effect is called ‘phototropism.’

*When designing a tree, it will help to look at it from a 2-dimensional perspective (take a picture or close one eye). This will remove the confusing 3-dimensional aspect and allow the silhouette to be seen more clearly.

*Don’t forget to include ‘negative spaces.’ Silent moments between musical phrases sometimes enhance the musical composition and make it more dramatic, so empty spaces in bonsai compositions can add aesthetic value to your design. However, other times, empty spaces look better filled. [#8] [#9]

*The pot is more than just a container. The proper pot enhances the trees’ character and helps communicate the thematic message. The wrong pot will distract from the overall design as well as the point of interest. A bonsai tree without the proper pot is like a great painting without a proper frame. [#10]

Principles of Design

1. Balance – equal feeling of weight and perception of balance. Bonsai can exhibit symmetric or asymmetric balance.

Balance is achieved by:

1. Value – smaller dark colors can balance larger light colors.
2. Color – smaller bright colors can balance larger neutral colors.
3. Shape – smaller complicated shapes can balance larger simple shapes.
4. Texture – smaller, rougher textures can balance larger, smoother textures.
5. Position – smaller objects farther from the center balances larger objects near the center.

*Symmetric (static) balance where the careful application of symmetry can lead to a stable, restful state. An example would be a heavy formal upright. Still, the asymmetry of a scalene triangle is usually employed in the design.

*Asymmetric (dynamic) balance implies instability and movement, yet the piece still portrays a sense of balance. This is seen in slanting styles as well as cascades.

2. Exit
3. Movement and Rhythm – the directional path our eyes take when we observe a composition. This can be controlled through trunk line, branch direction, foliage shape, the position of the container, etc.
   1. Movement is created with 3 kinds of lines:
      1. Actual line – trunk and/or branches
      1. Implied line – visual path created by the arrangement of successive components.
      1. Psychic line – invisible lines that draws the eye and directs the viewing.

3. Movement imparts dynamic motion and evokes emotion.
4. Avoid contradicting movement, which creates competing power, confuses the eye, and imparts an uncomfortable feeling to the viewer.
5. Emphasis – exaggerating certain tree features to emphasize the focal point (point of interest) and eliminate the unnecessary details that detract from it. Minimize the negative features of the tree by removing or hiding them. [#23] Try repositioning the tree differently for better dramatic effect.
6.  Simplicity – elimination of non-essential elements or details that detract from the focal point, or which negatively impact the overall beauty of the design. The absence of the ornate (sabi).
7. Suggestion – Show beginnings that suggest what is to come (flower blossoms or buds).
8. Show ends that suggest what has happened (jin/shari, uro, sabamiki).]

– a path that disappears behind a bend or rock stirs the imagination.

8. Contrast – opposition of various elements which lend interest and variation to the design. Too much similarity can make a design monotonous. Contrasting colors (pot and leaves, rock and tree, bark and moss, etc.) can enhance the beauty of the design.
9. Proportion – relation or scale of elements in order to project the illusion of immensity and depth by using contrasting items (figurines, moss, smaller leaf bushes, etc.) The ‘sense of proportion’ as well as the illusion of depth creates perspective and dimension.
   1. Space – interval or distance between elements. Negative space can be essential to imply the illusion of depth, mystery, and balance.
   2. Illusion of depth is achieved by overlapping components becoming successively smaller. The object is to achieve a visual balance and believability of the overall composition.
   3. The ‘golden section’: The ‘Law of Proportionality’
      1. Two unequal parts of a whole in relationship to create a satisfactory image to the eye. The golden section is: 38% to 62% (or 1:2/3)
      1. Because this proportion is so prevalent in nature, it ‘feels’ right when our eyes perceive these proportions. (Ex. Forearm to the upper arm, hand to forearm, eyes to nose to mouth.
      1. This numerical sequence is referred to as the ‘Fibonacci series’: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21, etc. This sequence is found in nature (Ex. Seashells; a rose has spirals of 3 petals in one direction, then 5 in the other. A pine cone has 8 spirals in one direction, then 13 in the next.
      1. The ‘law of two thirds’, from application of the ‘golden section’ creates harmony to the eye. The points of interest are placed along aesthetically pleasing lines, the objects being asymmetrically placed according to the ratio.
      1. Applied to Bonsai, that is why trees are planted ‘off center’ in the pot, and why branches begin 1/3 up from the base of the tree, etc.
10. Unity – all elements and components should be composed with integrity in a consistent manner. Unity will give a sense of visual pleasure if all of the components are arranged in harmony. When unity is achieved, the creation will be aesthetically beautiful, logical in nature, and the thematic message will be perceived. Unity is achieved through:
    1. Consistency – repetition of all elements showing similarity in character will create a visual relationship that tells the same story.
       1. Repetition of action – windswept trees in the same direction, ‘shingle pads’ on junipers, etc.
       1. Repeating of motif – repeating theme or element
       1. Gender unity – tree/pot
11. Relevancy – character, and arrangement of all components should ring true to the concept of the design. Plant morphology, environmental factors, etc., should fit the design concept and theme.
    1. The canopy of the close-up tree should include negative spaces, not too neatly trimmed; however, a far-view tree should be treated the opposite way.
    1. Deadwood is naturally found on the outside of trunk bends, the area most exposed and attacked by the elements.
    1. Branches naturally grow on the outside bend of trunks.

10. Integrity – all elements and components should be arranged to show a logical relationship and connection as an uninterrupted union. Two unrelated elements can be connected using a third element to bridge the gap.
11. Avoid incongruence and inconsistencies such as:
    1. Major jin/shari but a neat symmetrical crown.
    1. Premature growth on a post-mature trunk.
    1. Tree growing off one side of a cliff or rock or near water but asymmetrical crown.

*Unity without variation = boring

*Too much variation = chaotic

*Depending on the mood/character/idea/theme that we want to convey, some design principles will be more prominent than others.

          Ex. Balance or movement.

*Successful Bonsai should incorporate artistic beauty in a horticulturally convincing manner while presenting a certain message that communicates with the viewer.

Design principles for Bonsai PDF download