Study#1986: Red Fishing Boat in Cove

It's Richer... not Lighter!

Here's one that fools many. It's the "richer seems lighter" trap. We call it a trap because this particular illusion can fool our mind's eye into misreading color "values".

Here's what happens. The illusion is created when certain viewing conditions cause rich colors to look much lighter than what they really are. Consequently, if the artist is trying to capture realistic lighting, they make the "value" level of those areas too light.

Let's take a look...

To ensure that the buttons are set to do this exercise, please start by clicking on the following in the Online Viewer...

1. click the "white" button,
2. click the Overlays "OFF" button
3. click the Value Scale "ON" button
4. click the overlay button "A".

Overlay "A" shows two areas that we will be discussing. You can turn this overlay on or off as needed by clicking it again.

Area (1) points to the strong sunlight part of the red boat and area (3) points to the shadow reflection of the red boat in the water.

What "value" do you think the shadow at area (3) is? This one is easy... most would guess correctly and click "1".

Now, click on the "value" you think the sunny red part of the boat is... see area (1)? In this photo, you will find that the screen value of the sunny red is mostly value "4" with some areas shifting to "5" . Since that part of the boat is sunny and the local color very rich in red, the tendency is to make it lighter than what it really is.

However, that's not the trap!

The above exercise was just a warm up to help you get familiar with the "value" contrast between the "shadow" in the water and the "sunlight" on the red boat. In this digital photo, the value contrast is "4" value steps.

Now, here's the trap.

1. click "A" again to turn it "off",

2. click "B" ...take note of areas (2) and (4).

Area (2) points to the "shadow cast on the red boat" from a nearby wharf. Area (4) points to the "sunny reflection of the red boat in the water".

Before looking at the answer below, answer the following question...

What is the "value" difference between area (2) and area (4)?

A. no difference
B. one step
C. two steps

3. click value "2".

The answer is... "A". Both areas are value "2". The "sunny reflection" is richer... not lighter than the "shadow on the boat". This kind of thing happens in nature all the time.

So what's going on?

There are a couple of influences that come into play in this case. One influence comes from our everyday life experience. Experience says to the brain, "sunny reflection... must be much lighter than shadow reflection". Right? No, not necessarily. But that's another topic.

However, this effect is caused for the most part by a phenomenon called simultaneous contrast. In fact, it along with a similar one called after image are responsible for many "tricks-of-the-eye".

So why we are fooled by this particular arrangement of colors? Well let's take a closer look.

1. click the Value Scale "OFF" to mask-out all the colors

2. click "2" to mask-in just the value level "2" colors

3. click "B".

Now that you have removed the surrounding colors and replaced them with the "white" underlay, you can clearly see that areas (2) and (4) look like they are the same value. Try squinting. It dulls the details coming in through our naked eye and shows the color "values" better. (If need be, click "B" again to turn the overlay off).

Ready for the illusion? Watch this!

4. click value "1" on and off a few times.

Isn't it amazing! Once the slightly darker, dull shadow engulfs the "sunlight reflection in the water", the effect of simultaneous contrast instantly makes the "sunlight reflection" look much lighter than what it really is.

That's why we call this one... the "richer seems lighter" trap. The reality, of course, is that the colors are richer... not lighter. The reds in the "sunny reflection" are within one value step.

This phenomenon occurs all the time in nature. What's important to know is this particular effect happens in the our mind's eye and everyone can learn about it. And that, of course, is what this technology is all about. It helps you realize what's going on by providing special "real time" color tools to study these interesting effects in digital photos quickly and easily.

Granted, digital photos are not real life, and there is nothing like real life. However, you can certainly use this technology to learn about the minimal things to know about color, explore color effects, and discover the conditions that contribute to our mind's eye being fooled. And that's the bonus! By studying the lighting color effects (in digital photos) that inspire you, you will soon begin to see these same effects when you study real life. Once you discover why something looks the way it does... you know! And, once you know, you will have the color knowledge to handle these effects technically and creatively when you paint.


If you want to try another study, click on the small photo below.

STUDY#14:
Look! There's Color in those Shadows.


READ... About the Demos and G-Lab™ Color Technology