GESTALT PRINCIPLES Gestalt
Principles: The way in which we
organise features of a
visual scene by grouping them to perceive a
whole, complete form.
Figure-Ground• Organising visual information by perceptually dividing a
visual scene into a ‘figure’, which stands out from the ‘ground’ which is its surroundings.
• The line of separation between the figure and the ground is known as the contour. The contour is always perceived as belonging to the figure.
• Camouflage occurs when figure and ground are not easily separated.
• When figure and ground are perceived as legitimate alternatives they are called reversible figures
Figure- Ground
Reversible Figure
Figure- GroundCamouflage
The contours in this picture are not clearly visible therefore it is difficult to distinguish a ‘figure’ and a ‘ground’
Can you see 13 faces??
Closure• This is the tendency to complete a figure even if
our vision of it is incomplete.
• We perceive it as a whole recognisable object so the mind completes the picture even though we have not seen the whole of it.
• We have a powerful tendency to form shapes even if there are only minimal visual sensations about their existence.
• Our perception enables us to add bits to ensure we perceive the whole.
Similarity• The tendency to perceive parts of a
visual image that have similar features – such as size, shape, texture or colour – as belonging in a unit, group or ‘whole’.
• Ishihara Test for colour blindness• http://
www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.asp
George Seurat was a famous Painter who used Pointalism as his method of art.Pointalism uses thousands of tiny dots of colour to make a complete picture. The observer groups the dots of common colours to create a meaningful form. (Similarity)
Proximity - (Or nearness)• The tendency to perceive parts
of a visual image which are positioned close together as belonging together in a group.
For example 6 items can be:- A group of six I I I I I I- Two groups of three I I I I I I- 3 groups of two I I I I I I
Which Gestalt Principles are evident in the
following pictures?
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