The watercolor illusion is a type of optical illusion that is created by the perception of color spreading beyond the boundaries of the object that is generating it.
It is characterized by the appearance of “bleeding” or “diffusing” colors, as if the colors in the image were watercolors on wet paper.
The effect is most pronounced when the object generating the color is surrounded by a contrasting color, and it is caused by the way the visual system processes color information.
Table of Contents
- How does the Watercolor Illusion work?
- Versions of the Watercolor Illusion
- Illusions like the Watercolor Illusion
- Discovery of the Watercolor Illusion
- References and Resources
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How does the Watercolor Illusion work?
The watercolor illusion works by the way the brain processes the edges of an object.
The edges of an object are not always defined and sharp, and the brain tries to fill in the missing information by spreading the color of the object to the surrounding area, creating the illusion of color bleeding.
It’s also thought that the watercolor illusion is related to the aperture problem, where the brain is trying to interpret the color of a surface based on the small information it receives from the retinal receptors.
Because of this, the brain tends to create an overall color instead of a small patch of color.
Additionally, the effect is more pronounced when the object generating the color is surrounded by a contrasting color, this is because the contrast between colors generates a more defined edge, and the visual system tries to fill in this edge with the color of the object.
It is also believed that the watercolor illusion is related to the adaptation of the eyes, as the eyes adapt to the colors they are exposed to, they tend to change their sensitivity to these colors, and this adaptation can create the illusion of spreading colors.
Versions of the Watercolor Illusion
The following is an alternate versions of the Watercolor Illusion:
Illusions like the Watercolor Illusion
Color illusions work by exploiting the way that the human visual system processes color and light. The human eye is able to detect light in the visible spectrum, which consists of different wavelengths of light that correspond to different colors. The brain then interprets this information to create our perception of color. However, the way the brain perceives color is not always a perfect representation of the physical reality.
There are several factors that can influence the way that the visual system processes color and light, which can lead to the perception of illusions. These factors include:
Contrast: The way that the brain perceives color can be influenced by the surrounding colors and patterns. High-contrast borders around an area of color can cause the brain to interpret the color as spreading or “bleeding” beyond the actual boundaries of the object.
Lighting conditions: The way that the brain perceives color can also be affected by the lighting conditions. For example, when an object is viewed in bright light, the eye’s color receptors may become fatigued, causing the brain to perceive colors differently than they actually are.
Color adaptation: The brain adapts to the colors that we see over time, which can influence the perception of color. For example, if an individual looks at a red object for an extended period of time, the brain will adapt to the red, and when that person looks at a white object, it will appear to have a pinkish hue.
Color constancy: The brain is able to adjust the perception of color based on the context in which it is viewed. This can create illusions where the same color appears to be different depending on the surrounding colors.
Shape use: Some illusions like the Hermann grid illusion or the Cafe Wall illusion, use specific patterns and shapes to manipulate the perception of color and shape.
Some related illusions include the following:
The Neon Color Spreading illusion refers to the visual phenomenon where an area of color appears to spread or “bleed” beyond its intended boundaries.
The Bezold Effect: This illusion is created by placing two or more colors next to each other, and the way they appear to change when they are close to one another.
The Mach Band Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When an object has a gradient of color, the edges of the object appear to be darker or lighter than they actually are.
The Hermann Grid Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives intersections of lines. When the intersections of a grid of lines are viewed, small gray dots appear at the intersections, even though they are not actually there.
The Chevreul Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives edges of an object. When the edges of an object are surrounded by a contrasting color, the edges appear to be a different color than they actually are. Chevreul’s illusion is similar to Mach bands, but they work in different ways. Chevreul’s illusion is an effect on the perception of hue, while Mach bands is an effect on the perception of brightness.
The Ishihara Illusion: This illusion is created by the way the brain perceives colors. When a color is surrounded by a contrasting color, the brain perceives the color to be different than it actually is.
The flash lag illusion is a visual illusion that is based on the perception of the temporal relationship between a moving object and a flash of light. The illusion occurs when a moving object is followed by a sudden flash of light, and the perceived location of the flash appears to be behind the actual location of the object.
The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.
Discovery of the Watercolor Illusion
No one person is credited with the discovery of the watercolor illusion, but rather it is an effect that has been observed and studied by multiple researchers in the field of vision science and perception.
The watercolor illusion is a well-known phenomenon in the field of optical illusions and has been studied by many researchers, including those working in the areas of color perception, visual perception, and cognitive psychology.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.