Blender Vignette Effect with Ellipse Mask and Blur

This guide provides a straightforward walkthrough on creating a customizable vignette effect in Blender's Compositor using the Ellipse Mask and Blur nodes. You will learn how to generate an elliptical shape, soften its borders to create a smooth gradient, and blend the resulting mask with your final render to naturally draw focus toward the center of your frame.

1. Set Up the Compositor

  1. Switch to the Compositing workspace at the top of the Blender interface.
  2. Check the Use Nodes box in the top header. You should see the default Render Layers node connected to the Composite node.
  3. Press Shift + A and navigate to Output > Viewer to add a Viewer node. Connect the Image output of the Render Layers node to the Viewer node so you can preview your changes in the background (press V to zoom out the backdrop, Alt + V to zoom in).

2. Create the Mask Shape

  1. Press Shift + A and go to Matte > Ellipse Mask.
  2. Set the X and Y values to 0.5 to ensure the mask is centered in your frame.
  3. Adjust the Width and Height values (typically between 0.7 and 0.9) to fit the dimensions of your scene and define how far the vignette extends.

3. Soften the Edges with the Blur Node

  1. Press Shift + A and go to Filter > Blur.
  2. Connect the Mask output of the Ellipse Mask node to the Image input of the Blur node.
  3. Change the blur type dropdown to Fast Gaussian.
  4. Check the Relative checkbox. This ensures your blur scales appropriately if you change render resolutions.
  5. Set the X and Y percentage values to roughly 15% to 30% (or adjust to taste) to create a smooth, feathered gradient transition from the center outward.

4. Invert the Mask

Because the Ellipse Mask generates white in the center and black on the edges, you need to invert the values to target the perimeter:

  1. Press Shift + A and go to Color > Invert (or Color > Invert Color depending on your Blender version).
  2. Connect the Image output of the Blur node to the Color input of the Invert node.

5. Combine the Vignette with the Render

  1. Press Shift + A and go to Color > Mix Color (or Color > Mix in older versions).
  2. Set the blending mode dropdown from Mix to Multiply.
  3. Connect the Image output of your original Render Layers node into the top image socket (Socket A).
  4. Set the bottom color socket (Socket B) to pure black, or choose a dark, saturated tone matching your scene's mood.
  5. Connect the output of the Invert node to the Factor (Fac) input of the Mix node.
  6. Connect the output of the Mix node to both the Composite and Viewer nodes.

You now have a fully non-destructive vignette. You can fine-tune the intensity by adjusting the Factor or by tweaking the dimensions and blur radius in the respective nodes.