On the Watercolor Illusion

Abstract

Abstract The watercolor illusion is a long-range assimilative spread of color emanating from a thin colored line running contiguous to a darker chromatic contour and imparting a figure-ground effect across a large area. The watercolored figure appears evenly colored by an opaque light veil of chromatic tint (coloration effect), with a clear surface color property spreading from the lighter edges. At the same time, the watercolored figure manifests a strong figure-ground organization and a solid figural appearance comparable to a rounded surface segregated in depth which extends out from the flat surface. The complementary region appears as a hole or empty space. The phenomenal properties of coloration and figure-ground effects and their relationship are described and demonstrated. The watercolor illusion and its main effects are discussed in the light of parallel mechanisms. Boundary and surface dynamics are processed by the boundary contour system and by the feature contour system.