Awesome digital bokeh effect in Photoshop
Our last Wallpaper of the Week was an image I had created using Pixelmator, and I really liked the outcome. The best part about it was that it was pretty easy to accomplish in Pixelmator, but I decided for perspective's sake to create the same effect in Photoshop. The process is easy as well, but with a few extra steps.
As in the previous tutorial, I will show you how to create a digital bokeh effect, but this time in Photoshop. The process is very easy and we will be using the super powerful Brush Engine, one of the coolest things in Photoshop.
Step 1
Create a new document in Photoshop. As usual I will use a nice scree resolution, 1920x1200 pixels. Fill the background layer with a very dark grey, not black. If you fill it with black the effect won't work. The color I used was #262626.
Step 2
Select the Ellipse Tool (U), and create a circle. Use black for the color, and go to Layer>Layer Style>Blending Options. Change the Fill Opacity to 50%. After that select Stroke. Use 10 pixels for the size, Inside for the Position and Black for the color.
Step 3
Select the ellipse and go to Edit>Define Brush. Name your brush and that's done. Now we have a new brush ;)
Step 4
Go to Window>Brushes (F5). The first thing to do in the Brush Engine is to select our new Brush. The size won't matter because you will change that when you use it. The Spacing, however, is very important. Chage the value to 100%. After that, select the Shape Dynamics, then Scattering and Other dynamics. For the values use the image below.
Step 5
Before we start painting our bokehs let's create a new layer and fill it with a colorful gradient. I created a new layer and used the layer styles to do that but feel free to do the way you are used to. My gradient settings are as follows: Blend Mode is Overlay, Opacity is 100%, Style is Linear, and the Angle is 45º. The colors I used are: Yellow (#00085), Cyan (#1bdaeb), Purple (#9b3b81), Orange (#d27e34).
Step 6
Let's create a new Folder in our Layer Palette. Rename the folder to Bokehs and change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge. Then create a new layer, choose white for the color and select the Brush Tool (B). Now just paint some ellipses with our custom brush. For this first layer use a big size, like 500-600px.
Step 7
Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. For this first layer use 20 pixels for the Radius.
Step 8
Create another layer and paint more brushes. This time however use a smaller size for the brush. After that go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 4 pixels for the Radius.
Step 9
Create another layer and repeat the previous step, this time however use a much smaller brush. Apply the Gaussian Blur to this layer as well, but use only 1 pixel for the Radius.
Conclusion
Now just add your logo and that's it. We have a nice wallpaper. The idea of this tutorial was once again to show the power of the Brush Engine. You can try different shapes for this same effect, like hexagons for example. Also you can play a bit with the blurs to add more depth to the final design. Now it's up to you.
Click on the image for a full preview
Video Tutorial
Below there is a quick video version illustrating the whole tutorial.
Digital Bokeh in Photoshop from fabio sasso on Vimeo.
Download the Photoshop File
Click here to download the PSD file used for this tutorial
Editor: David Parrott
About author
My name is Fabio Sasso, I'm a graphic/web designer from Porto Alegre, Brazil and I'm the founder of Abduzeedo. I hope we can share lots of information, tips, and ideas through Abduzeedo. Also you can follow me on Twitter or my personal site at http://fabiosasso.com.
Made my own (fake) graphic design software with it:
http://l4dgg.com/files/79911230347323Sublime-Software-3.jpg
Thank you! Pretty cool effect! Here's my first attempt:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/netfool/sublime.jpg
I've since improved on it quite a bit.
Nice work ,great collection. Thanks for the share.
Wow, this is neat! I'll give it a try.
Thanks for the post.
The yellow is #ffff85 not #000085 (which is a medium blue). Nice tut. Thanks!
This is fantastic! While experimenting, I came up with another way to do this that adds some other possibilities. Create a black background. Create your brush. Create a new layer with your gradient, apply a black mask. Using your brush with white, apply your design on the mask. Blur as appropriate. Copy your gradient to another layer, apply black mask again, brush on design on the mask, blur as needed. Copy gradient to a new layer, apply black mask...etc..
You can apply the gradient in different directions in this fashion, too. I would have never thought of this without your AWESOME tutorials. Thank you!
The answer to eveyone's problem is in Step 1:
Fill the background layer with a very dark grey, not black. If you fill it with black the effect won't work. The color I used was #262626.
That's actually horrid bokeh if you think it as a photographer. The outline shouldn't be there / should not be that visible.
Great tutorial and website love it! I be hanging around some more here :-)
Here is my result:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doxi/3095915639/
Thanks great tutorial and super site!
Here's my result, change it a little bit and the FX tutorial for the dots came in handy :-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doxi/3095915639/
Hey do you think you can put the brushes online so i can download them cause im using photoshop elements6 and i cant do all of the crazy brush thingys thanx!
Awesome tut dude :-) thnks, here is my initial "test" with it: http://www.jscott.com.br/uxlab
txs
Thank you for a great wallpaper, it looks great on my laptop. I will try my hand at the tutorial and see how my one turns out lol lol. Thanks again
hey guys i have one question why is the gradient in step 5 not smooth. I dont get it why there are lines. Or its a problem with my pc or something? ;/
In order to define a new brush preset: Make sure the color of the ellipse is C0, M0, Y0, K100.
Damm.. this is a really good tutorial, but i wasnt able to get the brush visible and it was for a silly stup..d reason!! had black as top colour!! HATE WHEN THAT KIND OF THINGS HAPPEN!!!
I think the problem people are having is this:
Pay attention to EXACTLY what he's saying. Don't skip a step and copy his steps word-for-word if you want to get it right.
But the major thing is this:
Create the ellipse on a new layer. In the blending options, change the FILL opacity to 50%. Not the opacity, the FILL opacity. It's right under the normal opacity.
Hopefully that should fix it.
Wwooow!! Really good and easy effect. Thanks for sharing. Good Luck
Excellent effect. I made a wallpaper out of it and absolutely love it. Thanks for the amazing tutorials you have here!
My result is here: http://munkybizness.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/moment-stopped/
Very nice work fabio, I like this one a lot.. thank you for sharing.
Hey! Thanks for the tutorial! It looks great! sad I can't get it to work... I have the same prolem many people commented here, my circles don't glow...
When I paint with the brush I just created I get a flat 50% transparent circle without the solid border... maybe it's because my photoshop version? (CS3) anyone can help?
Thanks again!
Great tutorial but im having a problem. When i brush over the gradient they come out grey and i don't get any of the colour coming through them. Could anybody point me to what im doing wrong?
awsome, ecxellent, thanks...again and again, bye!
i`m a beginner but i start to feel like i`m stupid :)
i just can`t get this thing done. :(
and i like the efect so much ...
i will try over and over again tho`
thank you very much Abduzeedo, for me at least, u ROCK !
when i make the first circle shape, ps wont let me define it as a brush, any one have any ideas???
Thanks guys this was my result:
Kayla, he means create a 'group' to hold the layers for the Large, medium, and small brush strokes.
very nice tutorial, I've only got one question, does anyone know why applying color dodge to a layer doesn't give the same results as it does when you apply it to a folder as in step 6? Thank you!
Stupid questions.. when it says to "Let's create a new Folder in our Layer Palette.".. what does that mean? what is a folder?
Hey , This is a great tutorial , but when i got to step 3 it wouldn't let me click define brush preset on the edit menu
anybody know why?
Nice tutorial, although I got the same problem as TommyZidane.
All the bubbles turn grey.
Any ideas somebody?
I'm having issues and my bokeh's are looking rather DULL. Any ideas what I've done wrong??
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nphj2lBSE1s/SQjxZxP0H9I/AAAAAAAAAOE/1EGDnPYH0Q...
Forget it I figured it out I had me layers stacked wrong =)
When I apply the brush I get a grayscale effect. Also, the gradient layer seems too dark compared to yours. Any help would be great.
Thanks for the Tutorial
hey kaize.
? had the exact same problem coz I use ps7 :S
I covert the circular shape to a layer I maen I restarized the shape layer and tried again to define brush..and it worked for me..
dude thats awsesome thankst
Does this work on any version of Photoshop?
i cant do the define brush thing.
Makes my myspace look dreamy =D
http://nl.myspace.com/hoettienouw
mine doesn't glow =(, does anybody know why?
otherwise, insanely awesome, tahnkyou!
thanx 4 the lovely tutorial..
lulla
Thanks abduzeedo,this is my result..
original size
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm117/starlight_hafidz/awesomebokeh.j...
Ask forgiveness for my pessimism ENGLISH!
I would have to ask one thing! The tutorial "Awesome digital Bokeh effect in Photoshop" I was unclear from the phase 4 to phase 7 there is something wrong, let me explain why I can not get your same effect? the circles that overlap does not have the brilliance of your own! a person has published his work my result is the same .... very different from your! I serve you can help me a lot!
thanks and good job
chris
Thank You very nice topic