Some people say that the branches and leaves of pine bonsai should have the aesthetic feeling of calligraphy lines. If you want to use the lines of calligraphy to describe it, then the "missing marks" in calligraphy and the brushwork of Huang Tingjian's calligraphy are the most appropriate metaphors.
The brushwork of "Leak Marks" is to compare the twists and turns of the calligraphy pen with the natural beauty by using the traces of rain flowing down on the broken house wall under the rough resistance of the wall. The brushwork of Huang Tingjian's calligraphy is also full of twists and turns, cadence and flexibility, and there is never a straight line to the end. The main body of these lines is straight, stiff and rigid. There are twists and turns in the straight theme, and there are soft lines. These strokes resemble the lines of pine trees. For example (Figure 1)
These natural steep shapes and strong line aesthetic feeling of pine trees should be followed when we create pine bonsai. (as shown in figure 2)
In some places, when some authors create pine bonsai, they excessively pursue the strange phenomena in modeling and the sense of distortion in lines, twisting and winding pine trees like vines. To tell the truth, I think this is a misunderstanding of the posture and curve of pine trees, and it is the psychological work of curiosity. These people lack a correct understanding of the shape and lines of pine trees, which is counterproductive and self-defeating. They not only went astray, but also misled the aesthetic taste of bonsai lovers. These phenomena should be corrected and guided correctly. (As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5)
The artistic creation of bonsai must first come from nature, that is, it must follow the laws of nature. Pine trees have the growth form of pine trees, which are flaky branches and leaves. Vines have the growth law of vines, which is the property of soft climbing. We can't make pine trees look like vines. Their natural properties are insurmountable. Second, it is higher than nature. This nature, in fact, refers to the form of expression, rather than natural attributes and natural growth laws. Picturesque figures, the natural attributes of human beings cannot be changed and must be followed. You can't draw two eyes into three, let alone draw your nose as long as your arms. The shape, expression, language and lifestyle of the human body can be refined, which can be higher than the original life at ordinary times and can serve our creative theme. This "natural form" must be higher than nature, otherwise it is not a work of art, and the expression of pine trees is her modeling form, such as straight stems, bent stems, cliffs and so on. , and the number, length and straightness of branches. These primitive forms must be sorted out, processed and refined in order to serve our artistic creation and be accepted and loved when we appreciate the beauty of art.