Tutorial 133 - Depth of Field (Patreon)

Depth of field is a term to describe the range of acceptable sharpness within an image. 

Often used in photography to make areas pop by contrasting sharpness with blurriness, depth of field is an effect we can achieve in our work to the same end. 

When planning an image, try separating areas into planes of depth. The simplest method is to have an object on a near plane and the background on a far plane. For example, to make the object appear to pop out of the image, simply blur the background plane. By blurring areas that would be out of focus, we draw attention to the areas in focus. A very effective technique to imply spatial depth. 

The example illustrations show the effect of a shallow depth of field, which can be effective for any scene but uncommon in landscapes, unless they are miniatures! 

Try it, not just with digital painting software, but with traditional media also.