Colour, contours, shading and shape: flow interactions reveal anchor neighbourhoods

Two dilemmas arise in inferring shape information from shading. First, depending on the rendering physics, images can change significantly with (even) small changes in lighting or viewpoint, while the percept frequently does not. Second, brightness variations can be induced by material effects—such as pigmentation—as well as by shading effects. Improperly interpreted, material effects would confound shading effects. We show how these dilemmas are coupled by reviewing recent developments in shape inference together with a role for colour in separating material from shading effects. Aspects of both are represented in a common geometric (flow) framework, and novel displays of hue/shape interaction demonstrate a global effect with interactions limited to localized regions. Not all parts of an image are perceptually equal; shape percepts appear to be constructed from image anchor regions.