Gestalt Principles

Gestalt principles

The way in which we organise features of a visual scene by grouping them to perceive an organised whole

Figure-ground organisation

A way of organising a visual image by perceptually dividing it into a figure (the centre focus) and the ground (the surroundings or background).

Camoflauge

Camouflage in figure-ground organization refers to when a figure blends into the ground, due to the contour of the figure being unclear.

Closure

The tendency to mentally "close up" or fill in gaps in the visual stimulus and perceive objects as complete.

Similarity

The tendency to group things that look similar in terms of their size, shape, texture and colour.

Proximity

The tendency to perceive parts of a visual image which are positioned close together as belonging together in a group.

Contour

A line or a boundary that separates the figure from the ground in visual images.