WHAT IS THE SAMOILOFF EFFECT?
An exploration into the science behind making my light reactive artwork move and change under RGB LED lights.




The Samoiloff Effect: Unveiling the Intersection of Colour Theory and Perception
*PLEASE NOTE* I am from the UK so will use the British spelling of ‘Colour’ as opposed to the US spelling ‘color’. Also, this blog post may contain some affiliate links and I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) when you click on the links and buy through them.
Colour has the remarkable ability to evoke emotions, captivate our senses, and influence our perception of the world around us. Among the many theories and phenomena associated with colour, the Samoiloff Effect, coined by Adrian Samoiloff in the 1920’s, stands as a fascinating exploration into how colour interactions can create optical illusions and alter our visual experience.
In this blog post, I delve into the concept of the Samoiloff Effect, its relationship with colour theory, and the intriguing ways in which it manifests – particularly in art.
Understanding Colour Theory
Before delving into the Samoiloff Effect, it is essential to grasp the fundamentals of colour theory. Colour theory encompasses the principles and guidelines that govern how colours interact and affect one another. These interactions are often categorized into three primary aspects: colour harmony, colour contrasts, and colour symbolism. Then, comes the all important discussion of the primary colours.
Colour Harmony: Colour harmony refers to the visually pleasing arrangement of colours. It explores the relationships between colours and aims to achieve a balanced and aesthetically pleasing composition. Concepts such as complementary colours, analogous colours, and triadic colour schemes play a vital role in creating harmonious palettes.
Colour Contrasts: Colour contrasts explore the ways in which colours interact to create visual interest and impact. These contrasts can be achieved through variations in hue, value, and saturation. The most common colour contrasts include complementary contrast, simultaneous contrast, and contrast of extension.
Colour Symbolism: Colours often hold symbolic meaning and can evoke certain emotions or associations. For instance, warm colours like red and orange are commonly associated with energy and passion, while cool colours such as blue and green evoke a sense of calmness and tranquility. Cultural and personal experiences may also influence the symbolic meaning of colours.
The Primary Colours: The colours you may know as ‘the primary colours’, are, in fact, not. This, as many artists, graphic designers and visual creatives will tell you, is a popular frustration within the field. The majority of people are taught that the primary colours are red, blue, and yellow. And that these are the primary colours because they cannot be made by any other combination of colours – right?
Wrong, obviously.

There are actually two different types of primary colours.
There are the additive primary colours of red, green and blue, which are not tangible. These are light based and when mixed together form white.
Then, there are the subtractive primary colours of cyan, yellow and magenta, which are tangible. These are often paint or ink based and mix together to form black.

Looking at the images of both, you can see that they overlap to create new colours in between. This is important because here you can see that, contrary to popular belief, magenta and yellow mix together to form red, yellow and cyan mix to form green, and cyan and magenta mix to form blue.
Therefore, the common misconception that red and blue cannot be formed by a mixture of other colours is very wrong.
This is also very important for understanding how the Samoiloff effect works.
Understanding the Samoiloff Effect
The Samoiloff Effect, named after its creator Adrian Samoiloff, is an intriguing visual phenomenon that occurs due to the interaction of contrasting colours. Samoiloff himself was a Russian set-designer and made use of this technique in creating dramatic sets and costumes which changed easily in different colour lights.
This effect manifests as an optical illusion where the apparent hue of a colour changes when placed next to another colour.
The underlying principle of the Samoiloff Effect lies in colour science; specifically, the way the additive and subtractive primary colours mix together.
If you refer back to the previous diagram, you can see that all three subtractive primary colours mix to form black.
Let’s take the example of blue to explain further. You can see that blue is made from a combination of cyan and magenta and is also opposite yellow on the colour wheel. So, blue and yellow are complimentary colours.
Next, if we were to add yellow to blue (a mix cyan and magenta) that would mean all 3 subtractive primary colours were mixing, and would, alas, create black.
Therefore, we know that blue and yellow mix to make black.
The Samoiloff effect is the same phenomenon but with light. If you were to view a yellow circle underneath a blue light, then it would look black.
Meanwhile however, because blue is made of cyan and magenta, a blue light would make those colours look ‘white’ – so, when viewed against a white background, they seemingly disappear!
It sounds complicated, I know. So to put it simply, when you combine an additive primary colour with its contrasting subtractive primary colour, they create black, while simultaneously cancelling out the remaining non-contrasting colours.

To illustrate the example, see the diagram below.
Take the subtractive primary colour yellow, and put it on a white background.
Now, let’s view that same image through a blue filter: The yellow now looks black. This is because blue is an additive primary colour, and directly opposite to yellow on the colour wheel. (Note the previous image).

This effect, when used with layered subtractive primary colours in a work of art can create the perception of movement, and the magical effect of disappearing and re-appearing images.
The Samoiloff Effect and Colour Theory
The Samoiloff Effect uses colour science to create this optical illusion. By understanding the interactions between colours and their effects on perception, we can harness this effect to create captivating designs, artworks, and optical illusions.
By strategically employing contrasting colours in combination with coloured lighting, artwork can appear to move, animate or come alive.
I make use of this effect in my own artwork as a means of bridging the gap between movement and stillness. My paintings, prints, illustrations and designs capture frames of motion and layer them in each of the subtractive primary colours (cyan, magenta and yellow). Then, when my work is exposed to red, green and blue lights or filters, the artwork moves and changes under each colour. Essentially, I create three-in-one paintings and pictures, so that under coloured lights my artwork comes alive. The effect is somewhat an optical illusion, provoking a mesmerising experience along the lines of psychedelia.
Take a look at this video to experience it for yourself (though it is always better in real life, of course). You can also find some more of my works here, and even buy my designs as prints, T-shirts, stickers, and transfer tattoos(!) here.
You can also buy the LED colour lights that I find work best here, and if you purchase through this link I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you (a win-win scenario!)
I release original pieces in exclusive drops every few weeks, so make sure to sign up to my mailing list or follow me on social media to get first dibs. Alternatively, get in touch to commission me for unique and personal artworks.
Other Artists & This Technique
Peter Sedgley
Sedgley was a huge inspiration for me in exploring this technique. His 1970’s piece ‘Colour Cycle III’ is part of an exhibition at Tate Modern and completely mesmerising. Check it out here. He uses multi-coloured, concentric circles under changing coloured lights to make his work pulsate with life. Of course, his employment of the Samoiloff effect is used in conjunction with his own, abstract art style and I would encourage anybody to go and enjoy this work in person!
Carnovsky
Carnovsky are an artist duo who are based in Milan. Francesco Rugi and Silvia Quintanilla use the Samoiloff Effect to created multi-layered artworks, much more similar to my own. However, they focus on large scale installation pieces and often generate entire wallpapers that change under RGB lights. I would recommend checking them out here for sure!