Yes it sure is. I do this with all my acers. There is a couple of different ways to do this. Theirs Wiring and the way i do it is using a wire one third of the thickness of the limb/stem. Another way is the use weights, I would do this to bigger branches. and the last one i use would be guy ropes normally just to spread out my Limbs to get to the shape i want. If you do try it i would recommend doing it nearer summer so the trees growing strong and it has plenty time to heal. Just watch what ever limb your going to shape for things like abrasions and swelling as i would remove the wire or rope at that point.

Sorry if i haven't explained that to well im better hands on than describing.

Good luck

Thanks Clancy!!!

Just to add to what Clancy said, I've seen cans hung from limbs of Japanese Black Pines using nylon stockings as rope. The cans had sand in them depending how much bending was desired. The sand can be added or subtracted at anytime to change the load as needed. It didn't look good, but got the desired results.
I do it by pruning. It takes time, but it works.
Mike

Thanks mike! I am going to buy a reasonably young tree which I would assume means the limbs would be more pliable so i will give wiring a try and if that doesnt work then i'll weight the limbs down.

Here's another way to go about it.
I grew about 25 Japanese Black Pines once. They grow sort of crooked, like they had a little too much alcohol. I made them appear drunker by planting them at about a 45 degree angle for two years. Then I reversed the angle the other way for another two, all the time pruning here and there where I felt they needed it. Did some candle pruning and some shearing also. I ended up with some very nice looking Pines. Japanese style. I put them in yards I designed and installed, with instructions on how to continue to prune them.
Checking back a few years later none of my customers followed through. They weren't gardeners. Lesson learned. But I'm talking to gardeners here, right? ;-)
Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of my garden...mostly.

Mike never heard of the can hung from the limbs but thats a brilliant idea. had a little peak at your link to. Is that your garden with the lace leafs in them pictures. There stunning, What kind of laceleaf are they. The red in them is fantastic. Ive an emerald lace and a viridis but only got them last year while they were dormant, so haven't seen the foliage as of yet.

The can's can be plastic. Just match the size to the job.
Almost all of my maples are grown from seed. I select the best out of many and go on from there. I'm on the third generation now and started over 30 years ago.
Mike, an old guy. ;-)

Clancy, I believe one is 'Garnet'. Almost all the rest have been grown from seeds. One is a rescue from a garden that needed to be removed for a house expansion. The owners were going to throw it away.
Mike
Garnet

Seriously they are the nicest maples ive ever seen. All my customers garnets only ever go a dull purple/red, nothing like your garnets. I have a relatively small front garden but what i am trying to do is to only plant Dissectums, to try and just get a flowing canopy of vibrant colors. A few of these garnets will fit in wonderful with the rest of my maples. If you ever get fed up with them feel free to ship them to scotland haha

Thanks again

sorry i havent replied sooner. Thank you all for your input