The term complementary afterimage refers to a type of * afterimage in which the hues are approximately the complements of those in the original stimulating field. The complementary afterimage of a yellow circle, for example, is executed in blue. The term complementary afterimage is used in opposition to the term *homochromatic afterimage (which refers to an afterimage in which the distribution of hues is the same as that of the original stimulation field). Complementary afterimages are commonly classified as * physiological illusions.
References
Brown, J.L. (1965). Afterimages.In: Vision and visual perception. Edited by Graham, C.H. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Dictionary of Hallucinations. J.D. Blom. 2010.