What do I need to know to make convincing bonsai?

Dr.Bonsai

It isn't absolutely necessary that a beginner understand the differences between various bonsai styles in order to create a successful bonsai illusion. It is necessary, however, that you understand what makes trees different than other plants or you will be growing some dwarf shrubbery, not bonsai.

The best way to do this is to observe trees growing in nature, in forests, parks or a nearby arboreteum. Keep in mind these ideas:

WHAT TREES AREN'T

Trees aren't small. The primary factor that separates trees from shrubs is their great size. But our bonsai trees are smaller than many of the smallest shrubs. We need to understand and be able recreate the visual cues that say "tree" without relying on the physical size of the specimen to do so for us.

Recognizing these differences that separate trees from shrubs will help you to create a plant that looks tree-like, even on the small scale of bonsai. Keep in mind that these are just generalizations, and there are exceptions to every one of these rules.

TREES & THEIR GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Trunk - forms a single dominant line from which branches grow. The trunk is significantly thicker in size than the branches. Ideally it tapers towards its apex. Branches often do not appear on the first 1/3 to 1/6 of the trunk, which gives it the appearance of being a support for the tree's branches.
• Branches form as offshoots from the trunk and they too form distinct lines, often more horizontal, but they may rise or fall as is characteristic of the species. Branches taper and split into twigs. These ramifications should be clear of foliage, orderly and logical. Trees tend to have just two to at most three branches at each union. Shrubs will tend to have many, many twigs appearing at a single point. The architecture of branch, trunk and twig is not as clearly defined as it is in trees, and is often completely obscured by foliage. Trees, influenced by wind and weather will prune themselves as they age. Branches tend to to fork in pairs, located side-by-side, rarely one atop the other. Why? Stacked branches are weaker and tend to break away under the force of gravity and wind.
• Visible root base forms a strong anchorage in the soil. Roots emanate in all directions at the same level giving the tree a stable appearance that is not usually seen in shrubs.
• Silhouette - tree has a distinct silhouette, often triangular, but may be vase shaped or lance shaped as is characteristic for the species. Shrubs tend to be ovoid or spherical. They hug the earth closely. They can do this because they are much smaller and shorter and not subject to the forces of wind and gravity that a tree is. The tree must have spaces for the wind to pass between to prevent them from being uprooted in storms. Trees develop foliage into distinct units called boughs separated by spaces for light to penetrate to other boughs of the tree. In a bonsai, the bough is often represented by a single leaf, or the lobed or compound leaves of certain species.
  
  The combination of a complex scaffolding of branches (based on very simple rules) with clusters of foliage separated by empty areas, all perched on a trunk supported by a stabilizing buttress of roots gives trees this unique appearance. It is this unique appearance we strive to recreate in the bonsai illusion.

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