Creating a Bokeh Effect in Watercolor: Turning a Flat Sheet of Paper into Deep Space
One of the greatest challenges in watercolor is creating the illusion of depth. After all, we’re working on a completely flat piece of paper. Somehow we have to convince the viewer that one tree is ten feet away, another is fifty feet away, and sunlight is streaming through an entire forest beyond.
That sounds intimidating, but it’s one of my favorite effects to teach because it is actually much easier than most students expect.
In photography, the term bokeh refers to a shallow depth of field where only one focal plane is sharp while everything in front of and behind that point becomes soft and blurry. Wildlife photographers use it constantly to isolate a subject from a distracting background. The result feels atmospheric, luminous, and three-dimensional.
The good news is that watercolor naturally wants to create these soft transitions. Instead of fighting the medium, we can use its tendency to blur and diffuse edges to our advantage.
Original painting SOLD- fine art prints available HERE
Why Bokeh Works
Our eyes are constantly looking for sharp edges.
Sharp edges appear closer and demand attention. Soft edges tend to recede into the distance. By controlling where edges are sharp and where they disappear, you can guide the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it to go.
In the forest scenes above, notice how:
- Background trees have soft, fuzzy edges.
- Distant foliage melts together into abstract shapes.
- Light areas merge seamlessly into surrounding colors.
- Only a few important elements are sharply defined.
The combination creates the illusion of depth without painting every leaf or branch.
The Secret: Wet-Into-Wet Painting
The easiest way to create a bokeh effect is to work wet-into-wet.
Start by thoroughly wetting the paper and allowing the sheen to settle slightly. With the paper lying flat, drop color into the wet surface and allow it to spread naturally.
As pigments diffuse across the paper, hard edges disappear and beautiful soft transitions form automatically.
Many beginners accidentally create blooms and backruns when working wet-into-wet. For this technique, we intentionally embrace that softness and learn to control it.
A Few Important Tips
- Keep the paper flat while establishing the background.
- Use plenty of water early in the process.
- Avoid overworking areas while they are drying.
- Let pigments blend naturally.
- Resist the urge to paint details immediately.
The goal at this stage is not accuracy. The goal is atmosphere.
Building Depth Layer by Layer
Once the first wash begins to lose its shine, return with slightly thicker paint.
This is where the magic starts to happen.
Drop in:
- Tree trunks
- Branches
- Foliage masses
- Grasses
- Shadow shapes
Because the paper is still damp, these new marks soften as they spread. Some edges remain visible while others dissolve completely.
The result mimics the way a camera lens renders out-of-focus objects.
Every layer creates another plane of depth.
Original painting & Fine Art Prints Available HERE
The Push-and-Pull Process
Many watercolorists think paintings are created only by adding paint.
In reality, some of the best atmospheric paintings are created by adding and removing paint repeatedly.
I often describe this as a push-and-pull process:
- Lay down color.
- Allow it to soften.
- Lift out highlights.
- Add darker accents.
- Soften selected edges.
- Lift again.
- Repeat.
Over time, the forest begins to emerge from the chaos.
You are essentially sculpting with values rather than drawing every object.
Lifting Color to Create Light
One of the most powerful tools for creating bokeh is color removal.
After the painting has dried, highlights can be reclaimed using:
- A thirsty brush
- A scrubber brush
- A Magic Eraser
- Tissue or paper towel
- Clean water and gentle lifting
Removing paint creates glowing passages of light that appear to shine through the trees.
These lifted areas become just as important as the painted sections.
In many of my forest paintings, the brightest light is not painted at all—it is simply preserved or reclaimed watercolor paper.
Creating Sunbeams and Atmospheric Light
To suggest sunlight filtering through the forest:
- Preserve the lightest areas early.
- Keep distant values lighter.
- Increase contrast in foreground shapes.
- Soften the edges surrounding bright areas.
- Allow some tree trunks to disappear into the glow.
Notice how real sunlight often obscures detail rather than revealing it. The brightest areas of a painting can often be the least detailed.
This is one reason forest bokeh scenes feel so luminous.
Don’t Paint Every Tree
One of the biggest mistakes artists make is trying to describe every branch, leaf, and blade of grass.
A shallow depth of field effect relies on selective focus.
Some trees can be crisp.
Most should remain suggestions.
Allow shapes to merge together. Let washes create accidental textures. Trust the viewer to fill in the missing information.
The less you explain, the more convincing the illusion often becomes.
Practice Exercise
A simple exercise is to paint the same forest scene three times:
- Version 1: Everything sharp.
- Version 2: Half sharp, half soft.
- Version 3: Only one focal area sharp.
Compare the results.
Most artists discover that Version 3 feels dramatically deeper and more atmospheric despite containing fewer details.
Useful Supplies for a Bokeh Effect:
Pebeo Masking Fluid (big bottle)
Pebeo Masking Fluid (small bottle)
Richeson 1/2″ flat.
Incredible Nib:
Final Thoughts
Creating a bokeh effect in watercolor is really an exercise in controlling edges. Soft edges create distance. Sharp edges create focus. By alternating between wet-into-wet washes, lifting techniques, and carefully placed details, you can transform a flat sheet of paper into a glowing forest full of atmosphere and depth.
The process is surprisingly forgiving. Put color down, lift some off, soften an edge, add another layer, and repeat. Over time, the painting develops a sense of space that would be impossible to achieve through detail alone.
The beauty of watercolor is that it already wants to blur, diffuse, and soften. Instead of fighting those qualities, use them. That’s where the magic of bokeh begins.
See exactly how I created these paintings in the complete video tutorial, where I demonstrate every stage of the process from the first wash to the final highlights.
How Does This Compare?
Intentional Blossoms Watercolor Whale
If you want to see intentional blossoms used in a landscape rather than flowers, the whale tutorial demonstrates how water movement can create dramatic textures in waves, skin, and underwater effects.
Atmospheric Watercolor Trees
Both tutorials rely on letting watercolor do some of the work. The tree lesson focuses on creating loose organic shapes and avoiding overworking details, while this floral exercise teaches timing and controlling blossoms.
Snowy Landscape Tutorial
A perfect beginner companion. Snow scenes teach you to preserve the white of the paper and simplify shapes, while this flower exercise introduces wet-into-wet painting and intentional water blossoms.
Northern Lights Watercolor Tutorial
The Northern Lights lesson also depends heavily on wet-into-wet techniques and soft color transitions. If you enjoyed watching watercolor flow naturally across the paper in these flowers, you’ll use many of the same techniques to create glowing skies.
How to Avoid Muddy Watercolors
Once you’re comfortable creating blossoms, the next challenge is keeping those beautiful colors clean. This lesson explains how to avoid overworking your washes and maintain vibrant, luminous color.
UNC Old Well Watercolor Demonstration
Ready for something more challenging? The Old Well combines many of the same watercolor fundamentals—including wet-into-wet washes, layering, soft edges, and controlled detail—into a complete landscape painting.
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Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345