Know
Colour Vision
Why our eyes play tricks on us — and how the world looks to a friend who sees colour differently.
Demo 1 — Simultaneous Contrast
The two grey squares below are exactly the same colour. Look closely.
Your eye changes its mind based on what’s around the colour. Artists use this on purpose.
Demo 2 — After-image
Stare at the dot in the middle of the green square for 12 seconds, then tap “I’m done”. You’ll see a faint redghost — the complement. That’s your retina recovering.
Demo 3 — How others see colour
About 1 in 12 boys and 1 in 200 girls see colour differently. Tap a filter to see what the wheel looks like for a friend with that kind of vision.
Yellow
Amber
Orange
Vermilion
Red
Magenta
Violet
Indigo
Blue
Teal
Green
Chartreuse
Curriculum alignment
CambridgeScience 4Pf.01· Stage 4
Investigate how light travels and how we see colour.
NCASVA:Re.7.2.5· Grade 5 Visual Arts
Identify and analyse cultural associations suggested by visual imagery.