Bokeh

Bokeh 

Hi there!

How're you doing?  Trust all

is going to plan in your corner

of the universe .....................

To round off the week's bokeh

techniques we have Angela Radford

to show us how she goes about it

Get comfy and prepare to enjoy:

"This is an official name for a specific photographic  effect.

It comes from the Japanese word for 

haze : 'boke'  and blur: Boke-aji.

It is basically the aesthetic quality of images 

out-of-focus in a photograph. 

Crafters have found ways of reproducing this effect without a camera.

There are various ways of achieving this effect 

with both wet and dry techniques. 

The one I am using today is probably the most messy 

but I know that my crafting friends out there don't mind 

getting their hands dirty! 

So here goes.

For this technique you are best using watercolour paper 

as we are going to be getting it nice and wet.

So first you will need to attach the paper to a craft mat 

with masking tape as the paper is likely to warp when wet.

Next cover it thoroughly with water,

lots of it as you need the paint to spread. 

I have started adding colour here and it shows quite well 

that the paper is very wet.

I have used Paper Artsy fresco paints for this 

and you need to add enough water to them 

so they are more like a wash 

then apply them around the paper  

allowing them to blend slightly.

It may look a little dark at this stage 

but remember it will go lighter when dry. 

You can blot it if you wish to remove some of the colour. 

Remove the masking tape and dry it by either 

leaving it to dry naturally or use your heat gun

It should now look something like this:

If the paper has distorted I place it under my craft mat 

for a couple of  hours which will flatten it out again

Now you can start to add the dotty images 

though actually you could use any shape you like 

but I like dots as they are easy to find in different sizes. 

You can use a stencil or dabbers for this. 

I used a white pigment ink at different intensities 

until I was satisfied with the coverage.

And it's time to decide how you will use the Masterboard.

But before I do that I have another practice piece that I tried 

to see how this technique would look with coloured dots too 

and here is part of the Masterboard I made but what do you think?

These would make great background papers for all kinds of projects.                                                                                        

I decided to use sections from both Masterboards to make a card

I needed a background so decided to try the technique 

on a black card blank and I really like the effect.

I played around with the layout for a while before making 

a decision about the design. 

It was during this stage that I decided to use both Masterboards.

I used small dew drops from my stash 

to finish the card which just adds that 

little bit of sparkle which is so perfect 

for this technique.

Hope you enjoyed watching me make this. 

Give it a go, it's great fun to do.

Happy crafting,

 Angela x"

Materials used:

Fresco Finish Acrylic paints by Paper Artsy.

Watercolour Paper

Black card.

Stencils.

Dies.

Stamps.

Distress Inks.

White Ink.

Dabbers.

Smoothies.

Masking tape.

Heat gun.

Echo that Angela!  

Many thanks for a super project.

I'm off to make some master boards 

So very useful to have in your stash, 

especially if you have limited time

or, like me, an awful memory.....

'Till tomorrow

Mickie xx