This is a selection of exercises and examples from Josef Albers’ Interaction of Color. In 1963, Albers suggested using construction paper rather than paint for these exercises to maintain color precision. In 2011, we can do even better.FAQ
See page 9 and plate IV-1 in the book.
The same color can look completely different based on its surroundings.
“We try to find those colors which are more inclined to exert influence and to distinguish them from those that accept influence”
See pp.13-14 in the book.
Which is the darker and which is the lighter? Albers’ students had a 60% failure rate.
Albers suggests harnessing after-image effects. Stare at the overlap between the shapes for “longer than the eye wants to”, then remove the upper shape. If the newly exposed color appear lighter than the rest of the remaining shape, the upper shape is lighter and vice versa.
“Only a minority can distinguish the lighter from the darker within close intervals when obscured by contrasting hues or by different color intensities”
See pp.15-16 and plate V-1 in the book.
Arrange the “scraps” into a smooth gradation, with darkest on top and lightest on the bottom.
When overlaid with a “windowpane” of 50% grey, the following interactions emerge:
“…the 3 verticals of the frame appear increasingly lighter toward the top, and similarly darker toward the base.”
“Of the 3 horizontals within the frame, the upper appears lighter and the lowest one darker. And the middle horizontal almost vanishes from mergin with its neighboring middle-grey snippets.”
See pp.18-19 and plate VI-3 in the book.
Find a color such that the X on the top ground looks like it’s the same hue as the bottom ground and vice versa. For example, in this initial configuration, the X looks like yellow on the purple ground and purple on the yellow ground.
“The question that this study presents: what color is able to play such complementary roles in one show?”
See pp.18-19 and plate VI-4 in the book.
Find a color such that when placed on the top and bottom grounds looks like the grounds reversed.
“The true color of the central squares therefore becomes unrecognizable, as it loses its identity.”
See pp.20-21 and plate VII-4 in the book.
The reverse of the previous two exercises—two colors influenced by their surroundings to look like one. The effect is best seen when focusing between the two backgrounds and seeing both colors at once, rather than scanning from one to the other.
“Any ground subtracts its own hue from colors which it carries and therefore influences.”
See pp.20-21 and plate VII-5 in the book.
The principle from the last exercise is true of value as well as hue. By themselves, or on grounds of contrasting value, these two colors look nothing alike. But when similarly valued grounds “subtract” the value away, they appear similar.
“From this, it follows that any diversion among colors in hue as well as in light-dark relationship can be reduced if not obliterated visually on grounds of equal qualities.”
See pp.20-21 and plate VII-7 in the book.
The same principle, in greyscale.
“This study shows a very courageous solution to the problem because it makes a very light grey and a dark, almost black-grey appear alike.”
See page 22 in the book.
Stare at the dot in the center of the red circle for 30 seconds. Then, quickly switch to the dot in the center of the white circle. You should see a green or blue-green after-image.
Albers hypothesized that this effect was due to the receptors in our retinas being tuned to red, yellow and blue. When we fatigue the red, the yellow and blue appear more intense, creating the green after-image.
According to contemporary vision science, Albers was correct in concept but not in the details.
“No normal eye, not even the most color-trained one, is foolproof against color deception.”
See page 22 and plate VIII-2 in the book.
Similar to the last exercise, stare at the dot in the midst of the yellow circles for 30 seconds, then turn your attention to the white square.
If you expected to see blue circles, you may be in for a surprise: instead, you should see diamonds (the negative space between the yellow circles)—in yellow!
“This illusion is a double and thus reversed after-image, sometimes called contrast reversal.”