Maple Styling Advice

[UncleTrout]

I have two young maples and am wondering if there’s anything I should be doing to reach a desired result. Picture 1 and 2 are my young maple and then the inspiration for what I want to do. I know this is a very long term project, but just want to get it started right.

The last pictures are of a maple I got and I just have no idea what to do with it. I’ve searched online and can’t seem to find anything with a comparable trunk movement…thinking of possibly air layering sections off?

 

[Shibui]

I think you've started right by planting your JM in a bigger pot. The inspiration tree has a thick trunk and to get that you'll need to let your tree grow quite a lot. Most of us develop trees by growing big then cutting down in repeated cycles over 10-20 years.
When you are close to achieving your desired trunk thickness, transfer the trunk to a smaller pot while branching develops. In the final stages it goes into an even smaller bonsai pot for final polishing to develop fine ramification before showing.
Don't get too hung up on the final style. Your tree may not want to co-operate. If one trunk doesn't develop as expected, make the best use of what you have and style a single trunk JM bonsai.

Your second tree has the S bend. Great for toilet pans but not so great for bonsai. Good news is that bend will reduce as the trunk thickens. Again, I'd grow it much thicker then work out what to do with the result. No need to set hard plans when the tree will change so much over the next few years.

 

[UncleTrout]

I think you've started right by planting your JM in a bigger pot. The inspiration tree has a thick trunk and to get that you'll need to let your tree grow quite a lot. Most of us develop trees by growing big then cutting down in repeated cycles over 10-20 years.
When you are close to achieving your desired trunk thickness, transfer the trunk to a smaller pot while branching develops. In the final stages it goes into an even smaller bonsai pot for final polishing to develop fine ramification before showing.
Don't get too hung up on the final style. Your tree may not want to co-operate. If one trunk doesn't develop as expected, make the best use of what you have and style a single trunk JM bonsai.

Your second tree has the S bend. Great for toilet pans but not so great for bonsai. Good news is that bend will reduce as the trunk thickens. Again, I'd grow it much thicker then work out what to do with the result. No need to set hard plans when the tree will change so much over the next few years.

Thank you for the advice and the process toward getting them into their final pot - it is appreciated! Good pointers on waiting for final design to come, you never know what the tree will do as it grows.

I got both of these last spring and didn’t do anything other than repot them into these larger pots when I got them. I will just continue to watch them grow!