Instructions: [You may have to wait a few seconds before this will work, while the images are being downloaded] Stare at the black dot for at least 20 seconds. Then, without moving your eyes, move your mouse over the image. If you can keep your eyes still, the image will look like it's in color for quite a while. Move your eyes, and you'll suddenly see the image in grayscale. More examples are below.

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Below is the original image.

Here are some interesting items related to this illusion.

Big Spanish Castle. One of the best, and the archetype for retained-color illusions. Also a short tutorial on how to produce such an image.

How it works. One person's explication, anyway.

Arctic explorer. About one-third of the way down the page.

Eclipse of Mars. See a color that your monitor cannot produce!

Lilac Chaser. This animated illusion adds color, but also subtracts it! A very nice interactive version that lets you change parameters is here.

Whirlers. This is probably not color reversal, but it's so strange I had to share.

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