Bezold Effect
The Bezold Effect, also referred to as the "assimilation effect," is an optical illusion where a color's hue or value is affected by the color or colors surrounding it.
Discovery
The Bezold effect was first discovered by a German professor of meteorology, Wilhelm von Bezold (1837-1907), who discovered that a color may appear different depending on its relation to adjacent colors.
Description
When looking at a specific hue, it can appear to change in appearance depending on the colors that surround it. For example, a yellow box surrounded by blue will look darker than a yellow box surrounded by red. Often, the surrounded color seems to take on a tint of the color that surrounds it; red boxes surrounded by blue will appear more bluish than those surrounded by white.
Explanation
The reasons behind the Bezold effect remain a neurological puzzle.[1]
Applications
Knowledge of the Bezold effect is useful in fields such as graphic design, where artists can use combinations of adjacent colors to create the effect they desire.
Notes
- ↑ "Experiments with Spot 01" The Visual Perception Lab. Retrieved October 30, 2007.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Albers, J. 1978. Interaction of color. Unabridged text and selected plates. 8 ed. Massachusetts: Yale University Press.
- Echo Productions. Wilhelm von Bezold Virtual color museum. Retrieved October 30, 2007.
- Morioke, Noreen., Terry Stone., and Sean Adams. 2006. Color Design Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design. Rockport Publishers. ISBN 159253192X
External Links
- An interactive demonstration of the Bezold effect Retrieved October 30, 2007.