I’ll start by letting you know that I don’t know what species of tree this is, but it is from the 38th Nippon Bonsai Taikan Exhibition (Photo credit: Bill Valavanis). However, that is not important to know to talk about design principles of bonsai.
There is a flow to 3 main things that define the type of design that is being used: The defining branch (blue), the apex (red), and the trunkline (black).
Apex:
The apex is the highest point on the tree. To find the flow of the apex you find the highest point on the tree and put a dot. Then you find where the apex “terminates” or ends by the change in silhouette or pad and mark that on the left and right. Now split that apex in half from left to right. If the highest point is on the right half then it flows to the right, and the same goes for the left portion.
Defining Branch:
The defining branch is typically, but not always, the lowest branch on the tree. This branch has the purpose of defining the longest or widest point of the tree. This branch and the opposing branches on the other side of the silhouette help to form asymmetry in the design.
Trunkline:
To find the flow of the trunkline you draw a line straight up from the middle of the trunk. You then find which half most of the trunk lies on. This photo isn’t the best example of this, but the right side has a large portion of the trunk. This is generally more straight forward than this example. Imagine a semi-cascade or slanting style as a more obvious example of this.
Design Used:
The apex, trunkline, and defining branch all flow the same direction. This is an example of harmony in design. A perfect time to use harmonious design when styling your tree is when you might have an amazing feature that draws a lot of attention. Stunning deadwood, gnarly or smooth bark, or stunning jin or shari are all situations where harmonious design does a great job of complementing those features.
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