Bonsai Design Techniques

Colin Lewis

Class Preview

2:34:45

In-depth Instruction; over 155 mins
On-demand video access anytime
Bonus downloadable PDF resources
Access to class Q&A
Available for purchase: $39.99

Introduction to Bonsai

14:20

Join your instructor, world-renowned bonsai artist Colin Lewis, for an exhilarating exploration of bonsai design. Tap into the striking poetry of this age-old tradition as Colin shares the history of various designs from around the world, highlighting a variety of aesthetics, emotions and philosophies as he goes. You'll finish the lesson feeling inspired and ready to assess a variety of trees for their future potential.

Leave No Trace Behind

21:44

Discover Colin's professional and ingenious secrets for hiding traces of human intervention on branches, trunks and roots. You'll also learn how to use guy wires and toggles to bend branches into the position that you want, applying consistent pressure and creating the fewest cuts in your branches as possible.

Junipers

25:46

Colin turns your focus to juniper trees, which have special qualities that lend themselves beautifully to the art of bonsai. You'll learn masterful methods for creating a jin - a sculptural, exposed branch that's been stripped of bark- using a variety of time-tested tools. Colin also shows you how to safely and effectively develop shari, which are areas of deadwood on the trunk.

Dealing With Deadwood

16:21

Explore the art of deadwood further as Colin demonstrates a variety of methods for shaping jins. Harness the primitive art of fire to shape jins to your liking, and learn how techniques such as twisting, bending and applying lime sulfur can ensure a jin that rivals the form of branches twisted by wind or raging rivers.

Death-Defying Techniques

24:45

Experiment with hair-raising techniques as Colin helps you muster the courage, preparation and patience required to significantly cut into your bonsai in order to create dramatic bends. You'll learn how to apply geometry before cutting and securing large branches to create bends. Colin demonstrates how to avoid breaking the wood, and shares the best practices for securing your wires and helping the branches heal.

Composing Branch Structure

18:47

Branch structure is a complex and fascinating topic, and understanding it plays a crucial role in bonsai design. Learn more about branch structures and the canopies they create as you learn how to shape, prune and care for branches of all types.

Final Refinement

33:02

Put all of your new skills to work as you put refining touches on your tree. You'll prepare for the final shaping of your design before learning how to wrap branches in raffia and heavy wiring. Working branch to branch, you'll fine-tune branch positions before utilizing Colin's final tips for positioning and trimming the foliage.

7 Lessons

2 hrs 35 mins

Overview
Instructor
Bonus Materials
FAQs

Create exciting, original bonsai with advanced design techniques! Join renowned bonsai artist and author Colin Lewis, and explore bonsai as a true art form. Begin by developing an eye for design by sketching trunks and canopies. Then learn the best way to shape branches while leaving little evidence of human interaction. You’ll work with junipers, the queens of bonsai, and find out how to develop shari and live veins. Moving on, expertly deal with deadwood and shape jins before learning how to use fire to bend your jin into new positions, or age jins to achieve a mature look. Plus, uncover Colin’s secret method for heavy engineering with the wedge principle, and successfully compose and shape new branch structures. To round out your new skills, prepare your bonsai for final shaping, and enjoy how the final touches transform your tree’s image.

Colin Lewis

Colin Lewis is a world-renowned bonsai artist, author, teacher and consultant. He is the founder of Bonsai Magazine, served on the European Bonsai Association and has been a teacher of bonsai for more than 25 years. Today he is the founder and a full-time instructor at the Ho Yoku School of Bonsai in Southern Maine. Colin has written many essential bonsai books, including The Art of Bonsai Design, The Bonsai Survival Manual and Practical Bonsai, and has contributed to Reader's Digest Encyclopedia of Gardening, The Bonsai Handbook and more.

Bonus materials available after purchase

What is the “Purchase” option all about?

If you are a paid Craftsy Member, you have immediate and ongoing access to nearly every Class, for as long as your Membership Account remains active. To access the Class videos, be sure you’re logged-in to your Account. The “Purchase” option is simply an alternative way for you to own a given Class, beyond your Membership term in Craftsy. When you “Purchase-to-Own” this Class, you can keep it for your personal collection, and can enjoy on-demand video access to this Class even if your Membership expires. You won’t lose access, and you’ll be able to enjoy your library of purchased content without any expiration or condition.

If I’m a paid Premium or Gold Member of Craftsy, do I need to purchase the Class to have access?

How do I know what the Class covers?

Nearly every Class has a free “Class Preview” video clip. This will give you a flavor for the Class Instructor and the skills or project that you’ll learn in the Class. In addition, each Class Lesson has a brief written summary of its content, including the length of each Lesson video. Lastly, under the Bonus Materials tab, you can see what extra elements are included with the video Class – usually a printable PDF resource, or two, is included. You will get a good feel for the complete Class content by reviewing these various elements.

Do I have to be a Member of Craftsy to purchase a Class?

Absolutely not. Anyone can “Purchase-to-Own” a Class without the commitment of Premium Membership. If you’re not a Member, when you click on the “Get Class Access” button, you’ll be given a couple purchase options. One of those options is to purchase the Class on its own. You would then own the Class and have access to it in your Craftsy account permanently – weather you’re a Member or not. Do keep in mind, however, that as a benefit of Craftsy Membership, you would have access to all Classes on the Craftsy site as long as your Membership is valid.

How do I “Purchase-to-Own” a Class?

First you should decide that the Class is what you want. Review the Class Preview video, and the various written descriptions of the Class and each Lesson before you purchase-to-own, so you have a good understanding of the Class content. When you’re ready to purchase the Class, simply click the “Get Class Access” (or it may show “Purchase Option”) and proceed. You will be given the option to join as a Premium Member of Craftsy, giving you access to this and all other then-active Classes throughout the term of your Premium Membership, or to purchase this one Class only, which you would then have access to perpetually.

How do I access/view my Class?

If/when you are a Craftsy Premium or Gold Member, you will have access to all then-active Classes on Craftsy. In that case, you can simply visit any Class page and enjoy the videos (be sure you’re logged in to your Membership Account). If you are not a paid Member of Craftsy, but have completed a “Purchase-to-Own” transaction, you can access/view your Class by going to the MY ACCOUNT section of Craftsy. Within your MY ACCOUNT, a section labeled “Classes” will appear, including a link to watch the videos of your Class and to access any Bonus Materials included. You can access your Class(es) as many times as you wish, and you’ll never lose access to your Account information. Just be sure to Log In for access to MY ACCOUNT.

Is there a limit on the times I can view my Class?

Can I view a Class on my tablet device or mobile phone?

How do I get access to the Bonus Materials for the Class?

Unless you are a Craftsy Premium Member, or until you purchase a Class, the Class Bonus Materials (any PDF download materials, etc.) will not be accessible. Once you join as a Member or purchase-to-own a Class, each individual bonus element is accessible by simply clicking on each item. You’ll find these elements within the “Bonus Materials” tab underneath your main Class viewer frame. As with the Class video, you can access the Bonus Materials as many times as you like – or you can print them out also.

How does the Class Discussion benefit work?

Once you become a Craftsy Premium Member, or purchase-to-own a Class, you’ll have the ability to post a question, comment, or tip in the Class Discussion area. You’ll find the Class Discussion tab directly below the Class video frame. This is not a “live chat,” but a subject matter expert may answer posted questions. The responses may not be from the actual Class Instructor. You’ll be able to see all Class participants’ questions and input to take part in this virtual dialogue among others who have viewed the Class and are willing to share tips, answers, or ideas.

Can I print out Class Bonus Materials?

Are there any system requirements to view the Class video content?

Can I get a refund if I don’t like the Class?

If your access to a Class is through Premium Membership in Craftsy, then there is no refund available on any specific Class. A refund on a Craftsy Premium Membership will be applied on a pro-rata basis, within the then-existing term of your Craftsy Premium Membership. If you did “Purchase-to-Own” a given Class, yes we want to make you happy. Even though you will have been able to view all videos and download any Bonus Materials, we have a 100% money-back guarantee on any Class you purchase on an a la carte basis (Purchase-to-Own). This refund is available if you request it within 30 days of your Class purchase. Please direct any refund request to our Customer Service team, using the Contact Us information on Craftsy.com. In an attempt to avoid this situation, please review the Class Preview video and the various other written descriptions of the Class and each Lesson before you purchase, so you have a good understanding of the Class content.

Premium Membership

Unlock exclusive member content from our industry experts.

24/7 Access to Over 2,000 Premium Classes and Hundreds of Instructional Videos Across 20+ Categories
Extensive Library of Downloadable Patterns and Recipes
Stream and Download Classes Anywhere with the Craftsy App
Share Your Membership with up to 3 Friends or Family Members
Access to Ask the Expert Program
Admission to Exclusive LIVE Streaming Virtual Events

Monthly

Toggle

Annual

$11

/mo

Get Started

Unlock exclusive member content from our industry experts.

24/7 Access to Over 2,000 Premium Classes and Hundreds of Instructional Videos Across 20+ Categories
Extensive Library of Downloadable Patterns and Recipes
Stream and Download Classes Anywhere with the Craftsy App
Share Your Membership with up to 3 Friends or Family Members
2 Full-Length Classes to Keep in Your Account for Life
Access to Ask the Expert Program
Admission to Exclusive LIVE Streaming Virtual Events

Monthly

Toggle

Annual

$113

/yr

Save $19.00!

Get Started

Gold Membership

$449 Value

Get everything included in Premium plus exclusive Gold Membership benefits.

24/7 Access to Over 2,000 Premium Classes and Hundreds of Instructional Videos Across 20+ Categories
Extensive Library of Downloadable Patterns and Recipes
Stream and Download Classes Anywhere with the Craftsy App
Share your Membership with up to 3 friends or family members
8 Full-Length Classes of Your Choice to Keep in Your Account for Life
10 Patterns, Guides, or Recipes of Your choice to Download to Your Devices
20% off Purchase-to-Own Classes in the Craftsy Shop (Select Classes Only)
Access to Ask the Expert Program
Exclusive GOLD LIVE Virtual Events

Annual

$218

/yr

Get Started

Purchase Class

Purchase class and add to your personal library with on-demand video access.

Enjoy on-demand video access to this content anytime, anywhere for the one-time cost below.
You won’t lose access, with or without an active current Membership

Bonsai Design Techniques

with Colin Lewis

Video On-Demand Access

$39.99

Add to Cart

Bonsai Design Techniques Join Craftsy to continue watching for $11.00 per month / $113.00 per year or purchase this class for $39.99.

Bonsai Design Techniques

Colin Lewis

What is the “Purchase” option all about?

If I’m a paid Premium or Gold Member of Craftsy, do I need to purchase the Class to have access?

How do I know what the Class covers?

Do I have to be a Member of Craftsy to purchase a Class?

How do I “Purchase-to-Own” a Class?

How do I access/view my Class?

Is there a limit on the times I can view my Class?

Can I view a Class on my tablet device or mobile phone?

How do I get access to the Bonus Materials for the Class?

How does the Class Discussion benefit work?

Can I print out Class Bonus Materials?

Are there any system requirements to view the Class video content?

Can I get a refund if I don’t like the Class?

Explore classes by Colin Lewis

You may be interested in