VISUAL

PERCEPTION
Generally, when we perceive images they are easy to understand,
but sometimes we can get confused with the image represented .

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE IMAGES ABOVE?

1.- A TRUMPETEER OR A WOMAN.
2.- TWO FACES OR A VASE.
3.- A DOG OR A CAT.
4.- AN OLD OR A YOUNG WOMAN.
What do you see when you look at this image?
 You probably see a triangle.
But in reality, there are three white “pac men.”

We see the triangle because our brain

takes the ambiguous visual information
and organizes it into something
that makes sense to us.
In the 1920s a group of German psychologists developed 7 principles
about how people perceive the images around them. These theories
were called …
Gestalt principles of visual perception.
 Gestalt principles of visual perception

1.- Figure-background principle.

2.- Similarity principle.
3.- Proximity principle.
4.- Similarity principle.
5.- Common region principle.
6.- Continuity principle.
7.- Focal point principle.

To make it easier, let’s study just the most important.

Principle 1: figure-background
The brain tends to separate the foreground and the background. The foreground is the image that stands
out in the front and the background is the plane that recedes into the back. But sometimes the roles can
be swap, and the background can became the figure.
Look at these pictures:
- Can you see both elements at the same time?
- Does anyone stand out more that the other?
- For me, the …….. stands out more.
Principle 2-3: similarity and proximity
We perceive visual elements that are close to each other as a
unity, especially if they are similar in shape, size or color.
Look at these pictures:
- Can you see both elements at the same time?
- Does anyone stand out more that the other?
- For me, the …….. stands out more.
Principle 4: continuity
The principle of continuity states that elements that are arranged on a line or curve are
perceived to be related.

In the image above, our eye naturally follows the lines, making
continuation a stronger signal than the similarity of color.
Look at these pictures:
- Can you see both elements at the same time?
- Does anyone stand out more that the other?
- For me, the …….. stands out more.
Principle 5: closure
The brain tends to fill in the spaces of a composition when the elements are not closed. It
generates missing details and eliminates unnecessary details.
Look at these pictures:
- Can you see the image even it isn’t completed?
- It’s easy for me to see the image.
- I struggle to see the image.
Principle 6: focal point
The focal point principle states that whatever stands out visually will capture the viewer’s
attention.

When you look at the image above, for example, the first thing
you notice is the red square because it’s different from the rest.
Look at these pictures:
- Can you see both elements at the same time?
- Does anyone stand out more that the other?
- For me, the …….. stands out more.
FUGURE-GROUND CLOSURE PROXIMITY CONTINUITY