Narrow Depth of Field: British Soldiers

Cladonia cristatella "British Soldiers" Fruticose Lichen

Creating bokeh background: masked off the page with painter's tape. 

Scribbled in a background with Derwent Art Bars. Then painted over the page with a waterbrush being careful not to blend all the colors away.

When dry, used a stencil to add circles. 

Lichens were painted with acrylics. Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media sketchbook.

Happy New Year 2017...

Wishing everyone a joyous New Year! 

My first new word of the new year is "Bokeh".

It's the cool aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image; also small background or foreground highlights.

I tried, on this page in my Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media sketchbook, to produce some "bokeh" on a background of black gesso using pan pastels, Derwent Art Bars (waxy watercolor sticks), and Sakura Soufle Pens.  

Not sure what these shapes are but they looked appropriate for celebrating!