Visual Observation and Illusion

In my lesson where I teach about Positive-Negative Space, I like to use black-and-white pictures that show contrast and at least two different points of view. For example, in the classic vase-with-a-face illusion, some will see the vase as the positive image while others will see two faces. The positive and negative are often different.

It seems like most of these brain puzzles use faces and heads to pull off the illusion. I almost always see faces or animals in cloud formations. I like to hand out individual copies of these illusions so that students may examine them up close. This is especially important for the princess/old man. If you could turn the Mona Lisa upside down, you would swear that she is smiling.

Probably the creepiest illusion is this one with Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. To me, the imposters look like Jayne Mansfield and Eileen Heckart (from “Butterflies are Free” and “The Bad Seed”). What makes it more difficult for kids is they only know Marilyn Monroe. The bottom two pictures are great to Teach/Learn real (paper icebergs) vs. implied texture and perspective (3 men walking).

The Cowboy (below left) was the most difficult for me to see. Like the ladies in the very first picture (top right) I saw the old people before I saw the younger person's image.

In a book of Aesop’s Fables retold and illustrated by local Seattle artist, Jacob Lawrence, he does an excellent job of depicting a lion and a monkey to create his illusion and positive-negative space.

Salvador Dali likes to use symbolism in his 'dreamscapes'. Here's one containing two sets of animal trios; can you name them?

Finally, years ago, one of my work colleagues shared a photographic illusion from an issue of National Geographic.

See if you can figure it out!