I really hope this video goes viral within the bonsai community. This is such an overlooked and rarely spoken about subject within bonsai. Very well stated and explained. Great job Andrew

So glad I came across your channel, and I’m happy it was for this discussion. I’m a realist in my own Bonsai work, but I do have a small space in my art appreciation brain for idealized pieces as well. It’s just not my style. I would prefer my viewers to say “That looks like a tree” rather than “That looks like a Bonsai tree.”

Andrew! It's good to finally see you putting stuff on the KZfaq. Long and "glamorosa" life to your channel!

Such a good point about either approach being perfectly correct. I love both trees and have a combinaton of these styles in my nursery too. (Though not as well developed). I get tired of people who attack different approaches for no obvious reason. For most of us this is a hobby and there is nothing worse than being made to feel you are doing something 'wrong' with something you enjoy. Another great video. Cheers

Great video Andrew and discussion of stylised/idealised vs realistic. Walter Pall is a great advocate of the more naturalistic bonsai tree whereas I think the Japanese often go for a more highly controlled, stylised version of an ideal tree. Both are legitimate approaches and can result in incredibly beautiful trees. 👍✨✨

So cool to see people with an open mind!

I like this discussion, especially the point you make at the end about how different approaches are valid. I see a lot of people who are hard-line realists, though they generally call it "naturalism", which is a term I find a little silly. It's important to recognize that what we do in bonsai is not natural, but can be produce an image of nature. These styrax are awesome! I have a bunch of styrax seedlings myself that I am going to throw into a clump this coming spring.

This very topic has been on my mind for the past few days, thanks for covering it, I recon alot of people including myself needed to hear this.

GREAT video! I love the shot of the two styles together in your studio. Such contrast in style yet so similar in texture, species, etc. Great way to show the potential, even from the same species of tree.

Nice! It’s great to see Styrax get some attention outside of Europe and Japan. An excellent species.

loving your channel from the uk , have followed you on your socials and so pleased your doing vids now

Great video about just bringing this to attention, myself I am a Dan Robinson natural but distressed style lover, that might be a third option between a natural looking tree and one that might have been natural but stressed by nature.

Really great topic to present! Not other common video with techniques to apply. Sometimes we need things to think and in that way we can grow as a bonsai people with more than just bends and branches in our minds. Very valuable Andrew. Thanks!

What a fantastic conversation, and great open minded approach to it. Personally, I strive to make my trees look as natural as possible. I believe this is a more difficult and time consuming approach. It requires more clip & grow principals to keep the scale in check. But the decision making during hard cut backs is less stressful, and the results more satisfying. That being said, I have several trees I’m growing in a more idealistic fashion. I find this more frustrating though as my vision changes as I grow and change. I’m assuming this is the artistic side of me that, while in my 40s, I’m just discovering and developing. What I find helps me is to get a little fantastical with it. I imagine a tree from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, then follow basic Bonsai principals and their laws of nature. Either way, so long as you’re having fun with what you’re doing with you’re trees, then you’re doing it right. I can dig that all day.

Wow. You really hit the nail on the head with this one 😁 both tree forms are exceptional

I love both

thank you..andrew

Awesome video! Really great comparison and discussion. Thank you

This is great content, thanks for sharing it!

Great video! It surprises me after doing bonsai for a while now that I hadn't had this clear in my mind. It's good to know when planning a tree's development which direction to take. Enjoying your videos 👍

Great video, I really enjoyed this.

Thank you, that was a great watch

Excelente video 👍

Well said.

This was a great presentation. 👌

Keep it up! Great content

Both types are equally valid. Some people dont like tanuki beacause they are considered fake but all bonsai have an element of manipulation. So long as you enjoy the tree that's fine by me.

Thanks.

Rất hấp dẫn, tôi cũng rất yêu Bonsai 🎉🎉🎉

Great video and information❤ thanks for sharing friend🙏☕🌳

Nice video! I was wondering about good air-layered nebari vs good 'natural' nebari... air layered nebari tends to be noticeable (particularly on maples), if that's the case will you say air-layered are less desirable/pricy than 'natural'? something is for sure, Andrew is establishing himself as the person to go for deciduous bonsai.

Excellent points! However, I can't get over that bar branch on the top of your idealized bonsai. Any chance this species is a good candidate for air-layer? Because that piece would make a nice kabudachi...Thank you for your efforts and knowledge.

Great video. I have a styrax that is very leggy. It has never back budded. Can I cut back hard and if so when should this be done.

Hi, someone knows a book or other videos that talk about this kind of diferences in designing a bonsai? i would like to know more on this subject

Great video, I definitely prefer the realistic style over the idealism style. I think the realism style brings you closer to the natural world while the fantasy side pulls you closer to the man made world. One style brings you closer to nature, the other pulls you away from nature. When I see a bonsai that strays away from a natural looking tree, my mind tends to focus on the artist and the reason for the manipulation. A trees in nature are very beautiful, maybe the artist is exaggerating the features to make them more obvious, maybe the artist is highlighting their manipulation skills, maybe a natural looking tree is boring to this person? I feel bonsai has three components, the tree, the pot (including the display) and the artist. I like to see all three elements balanced equally. I think a natural tree has a good balance, while the idealism style is too heavy on the artist and manipulation. I think bonsai in general has strayed too far away from the source material of nature and gone too extreme with heavily manipulated trees.

I was thinking about this today. I bought a bonsai tree but something was "off" about it to ny eyes. Aftwr sone thinking I realised its too artificial looking. That made me think that some people must find the S curve pretty hence why its so popular, but I learned today that I don't like it

idealism vs realism is similar to the battle to become the highlander: there can be only one