
A color doesn't need to become physically more intense to appear more intense.
Surrounding colors can change how the eye perceives it.
A relatively dull color can appear vivid when placed beside a complementary color.
The same paint may look much less striking when surrounded by a similar hue.
Artists have used this phenomenon for centuries to create stronger visual effects without adding brighter pigments.
This is one reason choosing colors isn't simply about picking individual swatches.
Every color also interacts with the colors around it.
In a painting, the neighboring colors can effectively change what your eyes think they're seeing.
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