Looking for a good book on styling bonsai.

[chriso383]

Im new to this. Im looking for a good book on the process styling a bosai (maples specifically).
Im half way through "principles of bonsai designs" by David De Groot. It's and exelent book. I starting to understand what makes the design of a bonsai ideal or not, But I feel like I need something that explains how to achieve the desired results. Im looking for something that explains the styling process somewhat like these photos.

Any help is appreciated

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

What more do you need? Honestly, I have five or six books now and none of them go beyond just about what you're showing here.
I figured I have the basics, I know the techniques, the rest is up to me to be creative with the material I have and the way I ratchet strap wood on it to bend them in weird shapes.
I have to admit, for a while I thought I needed someone to hold my hand and show me step by step on how to design a plant. But it turned out that if you stick to those steps: first branch opposing the lean, left, right, back, apex.. You can whip any tree into a bonsai.
Then I challenged myself by styling a couple trees apex first, just to see if the technique held. It did.
It's craft. Now I got that down, I can mix in my own creativity by building a tree from a single branch and flipping roots over rock into cascades and stuff.
That's something I believe is difficult to put in a book, and probably why you can't find in-depth stuff going deeper than just the craft. This is where your own creative mind should start and take over.

But if you do manage to find such a book, I'm all eyes.

 

[pandacular]

I have amassed quite a large collection of instructional books, and have access to a library at my bonsai museum with several hundred more. The vast majority of bonsai books are crap.

The good news: you already have one of the best ones out there. Dave’s book is the absolute best at what it does.

Any number of books can show you bonsai technique—much harder is showing you when it’s appropriate to use which techniques, or how to develop heuristics for when to use them.

For my money, the best technique book out there is Jonas Dupuich’s recently released Essential Bonsai Book. It’s gorgeously photographed and designed, straightforward but comprehensive, and features some great contemporary teachers who you may find are good jumping off points.

Another excellent book focused on achieving design is Collin Lewis’s the Art of Bonsai Design. It’s built around case studies of trees, some humble others already great, and pushing their design forward.

I’m pretty sure that the last illustration is by Kyosuke Gun, a longtime illustrator for Bonsai Sekai magazine. They have a book called Introduction to Bonsai which is collections from Bonsai Sekai. It’s okay—the species care guide is interesting, but very focused on Japanese species, most of which are seldom seen in the US, and the contents are clearly adapted from old pieces. That said, the illustrations are great—if you are specifically interested in that style, it may be a good start.

 

[chriso383]

What more do you need? Honestly, I have five or six books now and none of them go beyond just about what you're showing here.
I figured I have the basics, I know the techniques, the rest is up to me to be creative with the material I have and the way I ratchet strap wood on it to bend them in weird shapes.
I have to admit, for a while I thought I needed someone to hold my hand and show me step by step on how to design a plant. But it turned out that if you stick to those steps: first branch opposing the lean, left, right, back, apex.. You can whip any tree into a bonsai.
Then I challenged myself by styling a couple trees apex first, just to see if the technique held. It did.
It's craft. Now I got that down, I can mix in my own creativity by building a tree from a single branch and flipping roots over rock into cascades and stuff.
That's something I believe is difficult to put in a book, and probably why you can't find in-depth stuff going deeper than just the craft. This is where your own creative mind should start and take over.

But if you do manage to find such a book, I'm all eyes.

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just have to dive in and give it a try. Maybe I'll get something inexpensive or colected to try out some of the techniques I've read about in principles of bonsai design.

 

[chriso383]

I have amassed quite a large collection of instructional books, and have access to a library at my bonsai museum with several hundred more. The vast majority of bonsai books are crap.

The good news: you already have one of the best ones out there. Dave’s book is the absolute best at what it does.

Any number of books can show you bonsai technique—much harder is showing you when it’s appropriate to use which techniques, or how to develop heuristics for when to use them.

For my money, the best technique book out there is Jonas Dupuich’s recently released Essential Bonsai Book. It’s gorgeously photographed and designed, straightforward but comprehensive, and features some great contemporary teachers who you may find are good jumping off points.

Another excellent book focused on achieving design is Collin Lewis’s the Art of Bonsai Design. It’s built around case studies of trees, some humble others already great, and pushing their design forward.

I’m pretty sure that the last illustration is by Kyosuke Gun, a longtime illustrator for Bonsai Sekai magazine. They have a book called Introduction to Bonsai which is collections from Bonsai Sekai. It’s okay—the species care guide is interesting, but very focused on Japanese species, most of which are seldom seen in the US, and the contents are clearly adapted from old pieces. That said, the illustrations are great—if you are specifically interested in that style, it may be a good start.

I have amassed quite a large collection of instructional books, and have access to a library at my bonsai museum with several hundred more. The vast majority of bonsai books are crap.

The good news: you already have one of the best ones out there. Dave’s book is the absolute best at what it does.

Any number of books can show you bonsai technique—much harder is showing you when it’s appropriate to use which techniques, or how to develop heuristics for when to use them.

For my money, the best technique book out there is Jonas Dupuich’s recently released Essential Bonsai Book. It’s gorgeously photographed and designed, straightforward but comprehensive, and features some great contemporary teachers who you may find are good jumping off points.

Another excellent book focused on achieving design is Collin Lewis’s the Art of Bonsai Design. It’s built around case studies of trees, some humble others already great, and pushing their design forward.

I’m pretty sure that the last illustration is by Kyosuke Gun, a longtime illustrator for Bonsai Sekai magazine. They have a book called Introduction to Bonsai which is collections from Bonsai Sekai. It’s okay—the species care guide is interesting, but very focused on Japanese species, most of which are seldom seen in the US, and the contents are clearly adapted from old pieces. That said, the illustrations are great—if you are specifically interested in that style, it may be a good start.

Thanks for the book recommendations iwill definitely be sure to check those out. I hear this one was a good one also. I believe the first image I posted came from this particular book. "Bonsai Maples" by Andrea Meriggioli

 

[River's Edge]

Im new to this. Im looking for a good book on the process styling a bosai (maples specifically)

If you have the budget, Andrea Merrigioli book on Maples provides in depth direction for development, design and correction of common faults. Along with a good deal of in depth reference material. Provides specific directions for developing certain styles of maples.

 

[Paradox]

I agree with the others above, Dave's book is the best out there for design principles over a wide range of species.

Andrea's maples book is very good (possibly the best currently) for maples which some of the techniques can be applied to other deciduous species.

 

[chriso383]

If you have the budget, Andrea Merrigioli book on Maples provides in depth direction for development, design and correction of common faults. Along with a good deal of in depth reference material. Provides specific directions for developing certain styles of maples.

Thanks, just ordered it from his website. $160 shipped there goes the budget but I guess its worth if it helps me to not butcher my Maples

 

[rockm]

Thanks, just ordered it from his website. $160 shipped there goes the budget but I guess its worth if it helps me to not butcher my Maples

Dave Degroots book is fine for what it is. It’s mostly theory and not a lot of detail(or knowldgeof how particular species work

The Merrigioli maple book is species specific

 

[River's Edge]

Dave Degroots book is fine for what it is. It’s mostly theory and not a lot of detail(or knowldgeof how particular species work

The Merrigioli maple book is species specific

Important point in this post. Understanding what two work towards in design is just as important as understanding the step by step progression!
David DeGroot's book is very worthwhile, as is Jonas new book. All three books are written in a very clear manner improving on previous materials available in my opinion.
The scope of Merrigioli's book is a different undertaking much broader and serves to compile the most recent knowledge in a very effective manner.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Honestly...time in studying dormant images of specimen trees. Is good homework. Understanding structure...will go a long way.

 

[BobbyLane]

A good basic guide to forms: https://bonsai4me.com/styling-the-basic-forms-of-bonsai/

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Your local public library may have a number of books. All of the many Colin Lewis books are quite good. As the others mentioned. Do not rush to purchase the old now out of date John Naka books. They are expensive collector items with out of date horticulture. Naka books have fair to good styling advice, but the horticulture is antiquated.

 

[chriso383]

Important point in this post. Understanding what two work towards in design is just as important as understanding the step by step progression!
David DeGroot's book is very worthwhile, as is Jonas new book. All three books are written in a very clear manner improving on previous materials available in my opinion.
The scope of Merrigioli's book is a different undertaking much broader and serves to compile the most recent knowledge in a very effective manner.

This is true. De Groots book is exelent for understandig composition balance cemetery Etc. After reading I just felt like "ok I understand what my tree should look like and why, now how do I het there?"

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Your local public library may have a number of books. All of the many Colin Lewis books are quite good. As the others mentioned. Do not rush to purchase the old now out of date John Naka books. They are expensive collector items with out of date horticulture. Naka books have fair to good styling advice, but the horticulture is antiquated.

Does he put nails under some of the trees ,for the iron, in his book? Or is that hearsay?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

In the Naka books, there is mention of using nails for iron. Which as horticulture goes is antiquated, but actually works as poorly controlled, slow release, form of iron fertilizer. Okay for large trees, meter tall or wide, not a good method for shohin.

The soil mixtures recommended by Naka are the most problematic. Garden soil blended with crushed granite grit or quartzite of they types used for poultry grit Good alternatives for the day when imported media and pumice were not available But modern substrates like pumice and akadama are so much better now.