I drew this picture last year. This is a portrait of the famous Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev. I think everybody knows him. Not only was he a distinguished theorist but also a keen practitioner. The first Russian oil pipeline was built according to his plan. This is why I drew oil production equipment next to him. Before I started this work, I did a lot of background research: documents, photographs, articles, etc. Using colors, plasticity, rhythms I tried to capture the conception according to current visual trends. I wanted to highlight the idea that the work of this outstanding person is not only a history of science but a foundation of the modern oil industry. I combined blue and brown gradients in the picture. I used geometrical forms and simple curves with sharp angles, and strokes. These are few details and primarily primitive shapes. This is a reference to Russian Avant-garde, the style which was popular in the early 19th century.