How to Create Eye Tricks With Images & Words
Optical illusions are an effective form of entertainment. They are experienced quickly, but leave the viewer pondering their effect for some time afterward. A good trick on the eye reminds people that their perception should not be taken for granted. A variety of visual patterns can create this special experience. Often, these illusions are created with images. But it is also possible to create certain eye tricks using careful construction of word patterns. Making these optical illusions can be fun, if not a little a challenging. With time, anyone can learn to create eye tricks using images and words.
Instructions
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Mismatched Colored Text
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Write the word "Red" using a colored pen or pencil, but write the word in any color other than red. (See Reference 1.)
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Create a list of other words under "Red". Each word is the name of a color, but it is written in any color other than the one written.
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3
Ask anyone to quickly read the list, but they are not to recite the words themselves. Instead, ask them to quickly name the actual colors the words are written in. The mismatch between color and word content makes this a particularly interesting trick on the eye, as few people will succeed in listing the actual colors.
Moving Circles
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4
Draw a series of 20 small blue circles with yellow borders to form a larger circle. Create the drawing on paper or on a computer using a graphic editing program. Each circle overlaps a quarter of the next circle, with the chain circling around to connect with itself and form a larger circle.
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5
Create a few more similar circular objects in the same fashion, but make each one a different size.
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6
Place all the circles on a green background. If using paper, cut them out and glue or tape them to a piece of green construction paper. For computer users, fill the background color of the image with green.
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Watch as the circles all appear to rotate like a moving image. (See Reference 2.)
Letter Jumble
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8
Write or type a paragraph of text. Use simple, common, everyday words that anyone should know. The words may be long, but should not be unusual. Medical or scientific terminology, for example, is not suited to this illusion.
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9
Re-write the paragraph on another piece of paper, but this time mix up the letters of each word. Keep the first and last letters of the word intact, but re-arrange all the letters inside the word.
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10
Ask another person to read the paragraph. You and she will be impressed that the text is easily interpreted, despite the significant changes in letter order. This eye trick reveals the impressive processing that takes place in the brain without our knowledge. (See Reference 3.)
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