Soft, blurry, and a little nod to photography, bokeh art is all about creating atmosphere. The bokeh effect comes from photography, when light is out of focus and shows up as hazy, glowing circle shapes. Here’s a round-up of bokeh-inspired projects from artists across the globe to get you thinking about your next piece.

✨ Lightbulb painting

Image: @artbyrohu
Bokeh happens when the focus of a photo or artwork makes the light in the background lose its shape. Instead, the light becomes soft blurs – just like the string lights behind this bulb! Use translucent layers around the shapes for a halo lighting effect and pile loads of detail into the subject in focus. Try this effect with gouache or watercolours for soft blends, or build it up in acrylic for a richer contrast.

🌧️ Rainy city art

Image: @toddsimpsonart

Cities are full of neon lights that make for great bokeh studies. Rain is a great way to shift focus, bringing the drops into clear definition and blurring everything else. Focus on soft transitions between colours, using wet-on-wet or spray-painting techniques to mimic the diffused glow.

🎇 Sparkler painting

Image: @shehana_fathima
The bokeh in this piece comes from the softly glowing background lights, which contrast with the sparkler in sharp focus. Layer soft, round shapes behind the hand to create that out-of-focus glow – it can help to work from a reference photo to keep the proportions clear. This is an awesome way to remember a celebration… paint it!

🚕 Rain window painting

Image: @shehana_fathima
This close-up view through a rain-drenched window uses the bokeh effect to blur the traffic beyond, capturing the glow of brake lights and streetlamps . The soft, streaky light effect builds definition around the cars so you can build the full picture in your mind. Add the water droplets last and make the linework clean and clear so they seem to be in focus.

⛓️ Wire fence painting

Image: @zofine.art (Michelle)

A strong foreground and soft-focus background create instant depth. You can play with this contrast by painting the fence in sharp detail and dabbing in the background lights using a round brush or cotton tip. Watercolours and gouache are great for building translucent layers for overlapping lights.

🎡 Ferris wheel painting

Image: @curious.creative.ideas
Bold colour meets deep contrast in this vibrant night scene. Painting over a dark background lets your bright spots shine, especially if you use translucent paint and layer for a glowing effect. See how the placement and spacing of the dots creates the illusion of a ferris wheel glistening in the night, without using lines or clear focus! It’s like magic.

🦌 Deer art piece

Image: @aimeejoyclaire

This one leans into the more dreamy, surreal side of bokeh. Use loose brushwork and blurry circles to frame your subject and give the whole piece a whimsical, out-of-focus feel. Acrylics are fab here with their fast-drying time, clean mixing, and vibrant pigment. You can play with all sorts of colour combos for this abstract-style background, depending on the vibe you want to create.

🌿 Branch painting

Image: @_amm9r9_art_
This piece captures a fresh, rain-kissed forest scene, with bokeh used to show out-of-focus water droplets and soft light filtering through the leaves. The rich greens of the branch contrast with the blurry circles behind, adding a sense of depth. Plus, the foreground droplets have strong definition to add to the contrast and draw the eye. The end result? A peaceful atmosphere.

🐦 Mural artwork

Image: @morris.green_art
The blurred background here creates space for the birds to stand out. The key is to keep the foreground sharp, while blending the background and adding in the bokeh highlights. This technique is great for paper, canvas, and even the wall! Whether you’re using a brush, airbrush, or spray paint, there are loads of ways to use bokeh to enhance your focal subjects.

🌸 Water lilies watercolour

Image: @_amm9r9_art_
The glow effect in this artwork makes the lilies feel like they’re basking in early morning light. Watercolours are great for this effect, as they’re translucent and can be gently blended for a soft background. You can then lift colour with a paper towel or by simply dotting water into your background for a scattered bokeh effect.  

🚶 Photography painting

Image: @toddsimpsonart

Bokeh adds atmosphere and realism to this busy city moment. The blurred lights in the background suggest movement without overworking the detail. Sometimes you don’t need an ‘in-focus’ subject to make use of bokeh – everything can be hazy! This mimics an in-motion photo, right down to the blended linework for an ultra-realistic look.

Want to try your own bokeh-inspired piece? Start small and experiment with different paint types, brush sizes, sponges and even cotton tips for soft light shapes. Whether you’re capturing a mood, a moment, or just playing with light, there’s a whole lot you can do with a little blur.

Share what you create by using #montmarteart or tag us @montmarteart on Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to see what you come up with 🎨

If you want to see more art, browse our Inspo collection. You can sign-up to Creative Connection by popping in your email down below to get stacks of free art projects sent straight to you. We’re here to keep you inspired!