Sir Alexander Fleming, Frs, the Discoverer of Penicillin

Light enters from the upper right window, casting Fleming's face and white coat into warm illumination while leaving the left wall and background in cool shadow. His figure anchors the left-center of the composition, bent slightly forward over a cluttered worktable that recedes rightward, drawing the eye into the depth of the laboratory. The eye naturally settles first on his hands and the brass instruments he holds, then travels across the dense array of bottles, brushes, and equipment that populate the table and shelves behind him. The large dark window frame on the right creates a vertical accent that balances the horizontal thrust of the work surface.

The darkest darks are concentrated in the window frame, the upper-left wall shadow, and deep recesses between laboratory objects. The brightest lights are Fleming's white coat and the illuminated portions of his face and hands. A middle-tone band of warm greens and ochres defines the wall plane behind the table, while the clutter of instruments sits in a mid-to-dark register that creates visual complexity without competing with the figure. Squinting reveals three clear zones: bright figure, shadowed background, and a busy middle ground of moderate value.

• #c9bc8d

  titanium white + raw sienna + touch of cadmium yellow light

  Fleming's white coat, catching warm window light on the shoulder and sleeve

• #a0a078

  yellow ochre + ultramarine blue + white

  the greenish wall plane behind the table, and mid-tone areas of his face in shadow

• #7d795d

  raw umber + ultramarine + ochre

  warm shadow tones on Fleming's right cheek, neck, and the deeper recesses of the worktable

• #5b4f3e

  burnt umber + ultramarine blue + alizarin crimson

  dark wood of the table edge, drawer fronts, and the wooden window frame

• #414136

  ultramarine + burnt sienna + touch of black

  the deepest shadows in the upper left, the window interior, and gaps between equipment

• #212822

  ivory black + ultramarine + burnt umber

  the darkest accents in window glass reflections and the deepest shadow lines defining forms

Edges here are deliberately varied: crisp and defined where light meets shadow on Fleming's face and coat, softer and atmospheric where the wall dissolves into shadow in the background. The brushwork is loose and suggestive in the dense field of bottles and instruments—individual objects blur together with quick directional strokes rather than being rendered with photographic precision, creating visual richness without static detail. His face and hands receive the finest modeling with blended transitions, while the background wall is scraped and scumbled, allowing texture to suggest age and wear.

1. 01

   Establish the composition and light direction

   Lightly sketch the figure seated at the table, noting that Fleming's head occupies the left-center of your composition, and his body angles slightly forward. Mark the window frame on the right and the wall plane receding behind. Identify the light source as coming from the upper right—this will govern all modeling decisions. Use thin washes of #a0a078 and #7d795d to block in shadow areas on the wall and establish the cool-warm temperature shift.

2. 02

   Build Fleming's head and hands in value

   Establish the underlying structure of his face using mid-tones (#a0a078 and #7d795d mixed appropriately). Note that his right side (facing us) catches warm light while his left cheek and temple fall into cooler shadow. His hands holding the instrument should be lighter in value but warm in temperature—use #c9bc8d with hints of ochre. Keep edges soft; you're blocking, not finishing.

3. 03

   Paint the white coat with warm light

   Lay in the white coat using #c9bc8d rather than pure white—the coat is warm because it sits in the window light. Note that the coat is brightest on the shoulder and upper arm facing the light, and grows darker (use #a0a078 mixed in) where it wraps around his torso and recedes into shadow. Leave thin dark lines (#5b4f3e) visible at fold edges to define form.

4. 04

   Develop the background wall and establish recession

   Paint the vertical wall plane behind the table using #a0a078 with slight variations—it should feel like an aged, slightly mottled surface. Keep it cooler in the upper left (add ultramarine) and warmer in the middle right. This subtle color shift, combined with softer edges, creates the atmospheric perspective that pushes the wall back and keeps Fleming's figure forward.

5. 05

   Block in the dark wooden furniture and table surface

   Use #5b4f3e for the table edge and drawer fronts, and #7d795d for the table surface itself. Note that the table has a slight horizontal emphasis as it extends rightward; keep your strokes directional to reinforce this recession. Allow some warm light to graze the near edge of the table, suggesting the window light wrapping around. The table should feel substantial but not pull attention from Fleming.

6. 06

   Render the laboratory equipment with loose, suggestive brushwork

   This is the most visually dense area. Use a variety of mid and dark tones (#7d795d, #5b4f3e, touches of #212822) applied with quick, directional strokes to suggest bottles, brushes, instruments, and containers receding into the background. Don't overwork individual objects—let overlapping shapes and value shifts imply form. A few brassy highlights (mix #c9bc8d with cadmium yellow) on the brass instrument Fleming holds will catch the eye and anchor focus.

7. 07

   Refine Fleming's face with anatomical modeling

   Return to the head with more careful attention. Build the cheekbone structure using warm shadows (#7d795d), keep the forehead and bridge of nose in lighter mid-tone (#a0a078 + white), and place the eye with a dark accent (#212822) that looks directly downward at his work. His skin should feel lived-in and contemplative—use subtle warm-cool shifts rather than harsh contrasts. Refine the lips and the corner of the mouth with a touch of warm red in the shadow.

8. 08

   Sharpen edges and add final definition

   Define the window frame crisply with #212822 and #414136—this dark vertical mass is essential to the composition's balance. Refine the silhouette of Fleming's head and shoulders where they read against the wall. Add thin dark lines (#212822) to separate the coat from the background and define major fold lines. Use a small brush to clarify where his hands grip the instrument, ensuring they remain focal.

9. 09

   Final atmospheric touches and surface unification

   Step back and assess: the wall should feel slightly atmospheric and unified despite color shifts. If needed, glaze over rough transitions with a thin wash of #a0a078 + white. Ensure the background laboratory equipment recedes properly by softening any edges that read too sharply. A final thin scumble of warm mid-tone across shadow areas of the coat will unify the light source. Allow the painting to breathe—leave some areas slightly rough and suggestive rather than resolved.

• Making the white coat actually white instead of warm cream-colored (#c9bc8d)—this kills the light source direction immediately. The warmth of the coat IS the light.
• Overworking the laboratory equipment in the background until it becomes a muddy, attention-grabbing tangle instead of a receding, supportive space. Resist the urge to define every bottle; let value and color shifts do the work.
• Losing the cool-warm temperature contrast between Fleming's illuminated side and shadowed side. The difference is subtle but crucial—his lit cheek reads as warm ochre while the shadowed side leans into cool grey-green.
• Placing the window frame too softly or losing it entirely. This dark vertical accent is essential visual punctuation and prevents the composition from feeling too soft or diffuse.
• Making Fleming's gaze too focused or too sharp—he should appear absorbed and thoughtful, not staring. A subtle downward tilt of the eye and softness around the eyelids preserves his contemplative mood.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility