Animation or optical illusion

[oldmangrumpy]

I was intrigued by PhotoMaster's triple nested animation, so I thought I would try something similar but different. I was pleased with and pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Have at look at the image below and decide if it comprises:

A - eight waving hands changing colour
B - a set of hands rotating clockwise
C – a set of hands rotating anti clockwise
D – all of the above



Some hopefully helpful hints:

1. Focus your gaze on the pair of hands at 12 o'clock (or 3 o'clock, or 6 o'clock or 9 o'clock – you will see a pair of hands waving and changing colour
2. Focus your gaze on one hand (say the dark purple one) and follow it. You will see the hands rotating clockwise
3. Focus your gaze on one hand (say the green and white one) and follow it. You will see the hands rotating anti clockwise

So I believe that the answer to my conundrum above is D.

[animicule]

What I see...
E. one group of 4 counter clockwise
one group of 4 clockwise

[oldmangrumpy]

Animicule - OK you got it; yes it is two sets of 4 counter rotating hands. Perhaps I should have given a 'B & C' or an 'E' option.

[animicule]

If they had been all the same color, I think it would have been impossible.
For some reason when I view it I see the amethyst/green going one way
and the yellow/blue going the other.

[lylejk]

I can see the hands rotate either left or right at will; cool stuff, OMG.

[Rod]

All of the above. =) Good one!

[oldmangrumpy]

Rod & Lyle - thank you; a good thing with Gimp is that you never stop learning

[Nidhogg]

I can hear the hands applaud, oh no they are glass!
Nicely done, this is one of those funny illusions that depends entirely on how do you look at it.
Try this, interleave your fingers in prayer position without thumbs.
Rotate your thumbs around each other, I think it's a common gesture for having too much time or something like that.
Easy to rotate them in same direction right? Now try to rotate other thumb to opposite direction, weird how the human brain works.