Turning Gray Shades Into Colors With A Tinted Geometric Grid

explanation

This is an old technique that uses the “color assimilation” effect to colorize pictures. This perceptual effect, also known by scientists as the Von Bezold spreading effect, occurs when our visual system transfers perceived colors to their adjacent areas.

Is the first photo of a variety of pumpkins in color?

colorized black and white pumpkins
Black and white photo overlaid with a geometrical tinted grid

Paradoxical Elastic Squares

A math-magic article I wrote for the German magazine Zeit Wissen: with the 13 triangular and square pieces (fig. 1) it is possible to form two large squares shown in fig. 2. Though the second large square has an extra piece the dimensions of the squares seem to be the same! Can you explain why this is possible?

Here’s a wooden version of the puzzle I designed in the late 1990s. Each set of pieces is made in a different color, giving the puzzle a clean, elegant look while making its deceptive geometry even more striking.

I am looking for a game manufacturer able to produce and distribute this incredible puzzle. You can contact me through my website.

☞ Further reading: explore the complete Vanishing Piece Puzzle project on my Behance profile.

Ghost Colors

This is one of my earliest color optical illusions. There is no yellow or green in the diamond shapes, just vertical black lines! (If you don’t believe it, use a eyedropper tool to check it.) This intriguing visual effect is mainly due to “simultaneous color contrast induction“.

Illusive colors
Ghost Squares / Black Diamonds (2002 – 2007)
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Scintillating Starburst: Seeing rays that aren’t there…

This is one of my oldest illusions I created in the 90s. In the picture you may see ghostlike dark radial beams. This illusion is a variant of the Herman’s scintillating grid illusion. I designed this illusion just by turning 45 degrees the Herman grid and then by applying a polar transformation.

From my book “Eye Tricks“, 2001-2007.
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