Visual Illusions

Visual illusions are objects that are not possible in reality. When you look at these objects your eyes collect information on the object, but that information does not match the information in your brain. The three images below are all different optical illusions. Each one displaying a fictional object that your brain tries to perceive as real.

Shape Constancy

Shape constancy is a phenomenon in which the person looking at the shape of an object sees the object as changed even though it has remained the same.

This image shows that the line passing through the square look to be two different lines. They are both part of the same lines.

Brightness Constancy

Brightness constancy is when you see a picture and believe something is darker due to a shadow over it. But as some painters have proved we sometimes assume that an item is darker just because their is a shadow.

The image of the square has arrows pointing to two squares on the cube that seem to be different colors. The two squares are actually the same color. 

Linear Perspective

Linear perspective is when parallel lines seem to converge with distance. This mostly happens in first world countries due to our familiarity with roads.

This image displays how the road looks to be farther away towards the back, even though it is on a two dimensional platform.

Size Constancy

Size consistency is when you see two of the same objects in a picture and the one that looks farthest away appears to be larger even if they are the same size.

This image displays how the triangles look to be different sizes, but are identical.

Convergence

Convergence is when your eyes move inward, or converge to perceive size correctly. When people do this they are able to tell if objects are close or far away from them.

The left displays your eyes looking forward. The right displays your eye's point of convergence.

Gradient Textures

Gradient Textures are caused when an object's texture is changed to give it the feel of depth. This is shown in Paris Street: A Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte in which the bricks in the street are drawn smaller the farther back they are in the painting.

This image looks like it has depth due to the blocks getting smaller in the picture.