3. Color Illusions are images where
surrounding colors trick the human
eye into incorrect interpretation of
color.
COLOR ILLUSIONS
4. SAME COLOR ILLUSION
Square marked B looks
considerably lighter than square
A, due to the “shadow” being cast
upon it. However, color on both
squares is precisely the same
shade of grey.
5. WHITE’S ILLUSION
All grey rectangles are of
equal luminance, although
the ones in the dark stripes
appear brighter than the
ones in the bright stripes.
11. Color Illusion by Color Constancy
Color constancy refers to a phenomenon in which observers can see the ‘true’ color of an object to some extent, even the illumination
is changed altering the ‘physical’ color. Color constancy is supposed to be perfect when in each image the right iris appears to be the
same color as the bead on the hair.
For example, in Figure 1a, the basic portrait is a grey-scale girl with cyan irises. The 50% transmittance red color filter covers
the left half of the image including her right iris, while the filter is superimposed on her left iris only in the right half of the
image. The filter physically changes cyan (R, 0%; G, 100%; B, 100%) to the intermediate grey (R, 50%; G, 50%; B, 50%).
The left iris then appears to be grey as it ‘physically’ is, whereas the right eye appears to be cyan as it ‘really’ was. The latter
is called color constancy, a human vision ability to see the ‘true’ color of an object even if illuminated or filtered by different
colors.
Figure 1
12. Color Illusion by Color Constancy
Figure 2 Color contrast using the same color combinations as Figure 1; the small square in each
image is the same color as the ‘iris’ in Figure 1 and surround in each image is the same color as the
‘skin’ in Figure 1.
13. Color Illusion by Color Constancy
The snake illusion is a well-known lightness illusion. In each ‘snake’ panel, the two diamonds in the upper row, which appear to be
chromatic, are the same neutral grey as those in the lower row.
It may be true that this effect looks like color constancy because it is accompanied by perceptual transparency, but this
effect can not always be attributed to color constancy, because the color of diamonds embedded in each ‘color-filtered’ or
‘color-illuminated’ area is not guaranteed to accord with this filtering or illuminating the area.
Figure 3
14. Color Illusion by Color Constancy
In contrast, such a configuration as figure 4 is regarded as an instance of color constancy because the
induced color of the target is consistent with the color-filtering idea.
Figure 4 A color constancy representation in the snake illusion display; the area A appears to be yellowish
but is the same neutral grey as the diamond B.
15. COLOR ILLUSION
BY ASSIMILATION AND CONTRAST
When an area is enclosed by a colored surround and both are partly occluded by
a colored grating, the area appears to be tinted in the same direction as the color
of the grating (assimilation) as well as in the direction opposite to the color of the
surround (contrast). Color illusion by assimilation and contrast is shown in Figure
5. The name of this effect is not well established but can be called the Munker
illusion or Chromatic White’s illusion.
16. Color Illusion by Assimilation and
Contrast
Figure 1 In each panel, the left circle appears to be orange, though they are
physically the same color; (a) Munker illusion or White’s illusion, (b) chromatic
dungeon illusion, (c) dotted color illusion, (d) De Valois-De Valois illusion.
Throughout all images, the apparent magneta is physically the same color as the
apparent orange.
17. Color Illusion by Assimilation and
Contrast
Figure 2 Color effects involved in the Munker illusion: (a) color contrast shows a
relatively weak effect; (b) color assimilation renders a relatively strong effect.
18. Color Illusion by Assimilation and
Contrast
Figure 3 Yellow induction: in each image, the left circle is physically the same white
as the right one but the former appears to be yellowish; this effect can be
explained with a color mixture between the color induced by contrast and the one
induced by assimilation; (a) Munker illusion, (b) chromatic dungeon illusion, (c)
dotted color illusion, (d) De Valois-De Valois illusion.
19. Color Illusion by Assimilation and
Contrast
Figure 4 Blue induction: in each image, the right circle is physically the same black
as the left one but the former appears to be bluish; (a) Munker illusion, (b)
chromatic dungeon illusion, (c) dotted color illusion, (d) De Valois-De Valois
illusion.
20. Color Illusion by Assimilation and
Contrast
Figure 5 A condition showing slight superiority of color contrast to color
assimilation: this effect is observed when the induced area is close to the inducing
areas in luminance; (a) Munker illusion, (b) chromatic dungeon illusion, (c) dotted
color illusion, (d) De Valois-De Valois illusion.
22. Color Illusion by Visual Completion
These illusions are characterized not only by color assimilation coming from the
colored inset but also by color contrast coming from the surround.
24. Color Illusion by Visual Scission
Visual scission or figure-ground segregation also produces color illusion. The
figure shows the chromatic version of the Anderson illusion, in which the inset
appears to be either a yellow disk or a blue one depending on the surround. The
Anderson illusion is a remarkable lightness illusion.
26. Color Illusion by Motion
The figure shows color increment when observers
fix their eyes on the center and approach or leave
the image. This phenomenon might depend on
different latencies of color perception that a longer-
wavelength color is perceived faster than a shorter-
wavelength color.
There are also two anomalous motion illusions. One
is that the inner ring appears to contract while the
outer one appears to expand (optimized Fraser–
Wilcox illusion). The other is that the inner ring
appears to rotate counter-clockwise during
observers approach the image focusing their eyes
on the center, while it appears to rotate clockwise
during they leave the image (rotating demonstration
of the Ouchi illusion). These two motion illusions do
not necessarily depend on color.
27. Color and color combinations are extremely effective and many side instruments available
for
designers. It’s possible to visually change the space in all three dimensions by correctly
controlling
ground colors and color stresses. It is necessary to examine the effects of light and dark
colors within a small space.
Color Perception and Spatial Illusion
28. LIGHT COLORS
- This is because light-colored
surfaces diffuse the distribution of
light, therefore enlarging the
perception of space.
- The cooler or light colors tend to
recede; making it look further
away.
- An additional effect of light colors
is that they appear to move away
from the observer. Examples of
light colors are blue, violet, and
green.
29. - Saturated, dark, and warm colors
have a different impact as it makes
any room look smaller.
- Dark colors absorb light, so it
reduces the perception of how big
the room is, making it appear
smaller than it is.
- Dark or warm colors are colors
like orange, red, yellow, and a
combination of these three colors.
DARK
COLORS
30. ENLARGE THE
SPACE
Light colors
visually broaden
the space and a
room seems
wider and larger.
The same
applies to wall
color, so using
light wall colors
with matching
light trim and
baseboards will
also make space
seem larger.
31. Contrasting dark colors with lighter
colors further emphasizes the
effect of spaciousness.
For example, a dark couch on light-
colored flooring and on a light wall behind
it, as a single dark element against a light
background, will seem smaller than it
actually is and a not very large room will
appear more spacious.
32. COMPACT THE
SPACE
To make the
room appear
more compact,
smaller, and
cozier, opting for
stronger colors
on wall surfaces
can work well.
34. STRETCH THE
SPACE
Painting the walls
in a darker color
and leaving the
ceiling white
makes it feel like
a higher ceiling.
35. MAKE THE SPACE
WIDER
Painting the back
wall and the
ceiling with the
same darker
colors and
leaving the side
walls lighter will
make the space
appear wider and
more spacious.
This is a
technique widely
used in corridors
or narrow rooms.
36. NARROW THE
SPACE
Painting the two
opposing side
walls dark colors
and leaving the
background and
the ceiling in light
colors will make
the space
narrower to the
eyes, improving
the proportions of
rooms with
unbalanced
dimensions.
38. HIGHLIGHT A
WALL
To highlight a
wall, it is
recommended to
keep it a lighter
color while others
have a darker
tint. This causes
the eye to be
drawn to it.
40. • To the colors that visually broaden the space the following ones
belong: neutral white, light beige,
warm beige-orange, different shades of yellow, cold light blue, blue,
cold blue-green.
• To the colors that create the effect of restraint and closeness of the
space the following ones belong: black, dark brown, blue-green, blue-
violet, rich red, yellow-red, orange-red, warm reddish colors.
• There are also neutral colors that don’t quite change the space
perception. These are green, purplered, violet and grey
41. • The application of light and warm colors in the main room makes the
flat look wider, larger and more spacious.
• The effect of a bigger height is achieved by coloring the floor in rich
and saturated colors. Red and all shades of red effectively accentuate
horizontal lines and planes of the floor.
• Blue and all its shades on the floor are cold and unpleasant in the
reception, especially on the large part of the floor, but, at the same time,
it seems big and wide.
•Warm Yellow and all its shades on the floor make a room spare, bright,
and sunny; however, light color visually doesn’t give a stable support for
legs and heavy elements of interior.
43. Illusory Effects with
Lighting Design
COLOR
OF
LIGHTS
Subtle differences and changes in the color tone of light can influence the
subconscious judgment of the general environment. People tend to associate a
warm visual atmosphere with hues of yellow through orange and red to red-purple.
Warm light sources like the sun, many incandescent lamps, and some new
fluorescent lamps tend to create a dominant impression of visual warmth by
emphasizing these hues while graying others.
On the other hand, cool light sources, such as skylight and some fluorescent and
metal halide lamps emphasize the colors that tend to create a cool visual
atmosphere, from hues of blue-purple through blue and blue-green to yellow-green.
46. The Use of Mirrors to Expand
the Space
Mirror
Illusions
The mirror increasingly becomes a
material or rather a tool for the
creation of interior space. There are
many mirror tricks that can improve
the real interior proportions, and
modify the room in terms of
spaciousness.
For example, instead of a small mirror
over the sink, the background of the
wall can be covered with a mirror,
which will make a bathroom seem
much bigger, and additionally brighter
through the impression of increasing
reflecting lights amount.
47. It is possible to improve the real proportions of the room, taking into account principles that the vertical surfaces
of the mirror make the effect of bigger room height, and horizontal surfaces of the mirror make a room seem
lower but wider.
48. Reflection can also be used to create a different kind of spatial tricks. For example, the plants located
against a mirror background will visually look more impressive.
49. Two mirrors mounted at right angles create amazing illusion of a four-times-increasing space. However, the set of
mirrors facing each other can be used to create endless “tunnels of reflections.”
50. The mirror, properly fitted on the wall or ceiling, may give the impression of increasing the number of light
points. This trick can not only brighten a room, but often make the interior more interesting, richer, or more
representative.
51. The mirror in the interior is connected with the ability to create optical illusions, reproductions, distortions-to-
measure “distorting mirror” used to emphasize the importance, validity, attraction of place, and often in order to
stimulate the imagination of the viewer, to take him by surprise with curiosity form and space that are not always
realistic and comprehended.
53. 2,000
Horizontal lines visually stretch a room, creating the effect of space increasing, but, at the same
time, lowering it. Vertical lines, on the contrary, narrow the space on the level, visually increasing it
vertically.
54. White objects on a dark background optically make the space bigger, widening and lengthening it.
55. Checkered, striped or filled with a repeated pattern surfaces, sections or elements seem bigger
than self-colored ones that are equal in size.
56. 2,000
The use of the vertical patterns and ornaments in the wall decoration visually makes a room
higher. The same effect remains if there is a vertical in the form of pictures, paintings or vertical
divisions on the walls, which “elongate” the height.
57. 2,000
The effect of more room height is achieved by the use of the pattern that is on the background and
of finishing materials with gloss varnishing.
