Demo Painting - limited palette/ cheap supplies

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This is a super quick 5 minute sketch of one of my 8th graders Domenico Delgado. This was a demo at the beginning of class to show the students how to paint with only 3 colors and capture likeness in a very short period of time. 

I don't paint nearly as much as I draw however all of the drawing practice allows me to paint more effectively. Typically I love obstacles when it comes to drawing and painting, this sketch was done using a really low quality (like 99 cent status) 1 inch bright bristle brush (yuk right?!). The end of the brush was frayed and really hard to work with but this made the demo more interesting for the students because I always say you don't need expensive tools to create great work, use what you have or what is available. 



Drawing Ms. Ruth Smith /Different Styles of drawing/ Referencing Rubens & Durer

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I hang out with my friend Ms. Ruth Smith every friday for a drawing session. This one week I drew her yet again (I draw her every week). Lately I've been playing around with a more detailed style of drawing using lines to communicate shadows and form. I was mentally referencing the drawings of Albrecht Durer and Peter Paul Rubens as I did this drawing. I say mentally referencing because I had no physical book with me, only the memory of they're works that happened to be on my mind at the time. 

This is why it is a good idea to collect a library of books and constantly study the works of your favorite artists of past and present. The more you study the more you will remember and be able to call on that information for reference when you need it, even if no hard copy sources are available. I don't usually drawing in this style though I have experimented with it many times in the past. I can't put enough emphasis on routinely trying out new and different styles of drawing, it helps to get out of monotony and keep it a fun and playful experience. 

Tip: If you find yourself having a bad drawing day, try a different style or media.


Quick drawing and painting

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This was a really fun work of one of my 8th grade students at work. I've been learning how to get in some of my own drawing and painting while they are working. I've found that not only does it help me but it also adds to the energy of the class. They really enjoy seeing me at work and they study how I work. I wonder what that experience is like for them because most of my instructors of the past (except my mentor) hardly ever worked in class, not sure if this was because they didn't know how to do it or because they were not confident in they're work. 

Student At Work
11x14 
Ballpoint Pen & Acrylic on paper


Quick digital over-painting/ Instructional videos now available

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This is a really quick digital paint-over of a pencil drawing I did last week. Took about 30 minutes. I will be releasing releasing digital painting instructional videos soon showing how I paint in Photoshop and how to work with photoshop in general.



The first instructional videos "Contour & Blind Contour Drawing" and "Warm-up Drawing" are now available for download on the "DOWNLOADS" page of this site. My videos are geared towards those who want to master drawing. I only teach methods and techniques which have proven valuable for me and my students over the years. Though contour drawing may seem simple and most of us did it in grade school, I've found it to be the most powerful tool that helped me and many of my students gain the confidence they always wanted in drawing. I offer more than mere instruction of the exercise, I also add many tips and secrets that, if applied will definitely help you produce the results you want to see in your work.


Warm-up Drawing are is a great habit for more productive drawing sessions. The exercise and information in this video will help you develop a practice that I have taught my students which has produced great results.   This "Warm-Up Drawing" video will show you my method of preparing for a drawing session which helps produce more pleasing results.




Drawing Public Transit 4

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The latest installment of the "Drawing On Public Transit Series" is released featuring my latest acapella song "Metrophyzix" at the end of the film. I'm getting so many great ideas right now. Everyone who has been visiting the blog make sure you click on the "follow this site" button in the left column because if you like what you see on this site, this is only the beginning. You will also want to subscribe to my youtube channel as I have a tornado of creative inspiration coming down the pike and I want you to be in on it.

This is a very raw film with the environmental sounds of the transit bus hitting bumps and making stops as the driver announces the streets. I wanted the sound of this film to really bring you into the ride as I drew a man that was sitting across from me. I don't show a photo of the passenger because I didn't get a chance to connect with him before he exited the bus. With the sound, the shakes of the camera and the shafts of light & shadow periodically washing across page I this was an adventurous and gritty change from my other, more steady films.

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts.

Drawing Cinema Screen Shots

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Here are some frames from one of my next drawing videos. I really like the colors and composition in this project so I couldn't wait to share some images. In this video I took a train ride and drew two men who game me permission to post they're photos along with the artwork. Feel free to leave questions or comments.











New video - Contour Hand Drawing - Comments section

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This is one of the exercises from my video course I am putting together. The download version will have instructional audio that explains how to achieve this level of confidence in your line drawing.

By the way, about a month ago I clicked something in the settings section of this blog and it disabled comments. Not sure what I did but after I tried to undo it by clicking "enable comments," the comments still seem to be disabled. If anyone knows what I could do to fix this I would appreciate it if you emailed me with your input. Thanks and sorry about that.

 

Drawing on the train in 2013/ Video Drawing Course

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I haven't been posting drawings regularly lately and I will start back doing so. I've been working hard on video drawing courses that will be available soon on this site where you can get the same instruction that I've offered in my live courses and workshops. I'm really excited about getting this off the ground because I've received lots of emails and comments over the years from fans of my art who weren't able to attend my courses and workshops because they were out of state or in another country. Very soon this won't be a hinderance any longer. I also plan to mentor students who download the courses as well. Not only will you learn from the videos, you will also be able to contact me via skype or some other platform where I can personally help you develop your abilities.

This is one of the drawings I've been doing recently on the train. I've been breaking all of my rules lately by drawing with pencils (I'm notorious for telling my students to either donate their pencils to charity or throw them away) and even more drastic, I've been using a mechanical pencil (a super Mr. D no no as my 8th graders would say). I've been using pencils to break up the monotony. I really love the way this drawing developed... it's favorite of the 2013 so far. Thanks for viewing and reading this blog post and if you are interested in the upcoming video courses, send me an email and I will add you to the growing list of people who will be notified once videos are available for download. Thanks again for your interest.

By the way check out my 8th grade students work here at the Oakland School For The Arts - Visual Art Blog I've created for them: http://osavisualart.blogspot.com/

 


working a new video

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I've been working on lots of videos lately, this is a shot from one of them. Lots of cool things happening right now. I will have my first DRAWING TOOLBOX tutorial video available for download on this site very soon.


New song!!

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Here is another song I made. These songs I've been creating are the type of music I like to draw to. I've been searching for music that doesn't have words for a while now. I stopped listening to wordy music about a year ago because I realized it interfered with my thought process. I wanted my own thoughts to be clear and not contaminated with suggestive lyrics. So recently I've been recording songs. I think we all have music in our hearts, some tune into theirs and create audio music from those inner tunes. Others hum, or whistle while they work. 

When I was little I would hang out in my bedroom on sunny afternoons, laying on my back holding one of my favorite toys and catch songs as they passed through my mind and sing them. This was something I did quite often and was a powerful form of therapy though I had no idea of the depth of what I was doing. The healing factor of music is incredible. I remember after about an hour or so of singing, whistling and humming as I drew pictures I would feel a great sense of (what I now call) awareness. A great sense of relaxation, high frequency vibrations, a blissful feeling. 

I still get these feelings from drawing and creating of any form. I have been creating these songs for years as I move about the earth, living and experiencing. Mostly expressed at home. It hit me recently to start recording these melodic thoughts. So here is the product of self realization - realizing that my songs are just as beautiful as my visual art and worthy of sharing with YOU. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts and having an interest in my work.
You can download this song free by clicking the download button below to the right (under the share button). enjoy:)

Recommendation Dawood from Sharon Art Studio/ San Francisco

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January 24, 2013


To whom it may concern:

I am writing this letter to recommend Mr. Dawood Marion Sekhem as an arts instructor. 
I first met Mr. Sekhem while he was working for Friends of Sharon Art Studio as a drawing instructor.  He has been an instructor at the Studio since 2008, and during that time, he has taught adult and youth drawing and painting classes including a class entitled, “Drawing Tool Box.” 


Comments from students follow:


  • He is also passionate about his work as an instructor and artist. He brings the highest level of artistic standard to the classroom, and seeks to introduce students to a wide breadth and depth of techniques and tools. Most importantly, he is a skillful artist himself, inspired and inspiring and this affection for art making is translated to his teaching. 

Based on largely favorable class evaluations, students found Mr. Marion to be an effective and informative instructor.

Comments by students follow:

  • He knows his stuff and is effective in his demonstration of techniques.

  • He genuinely cares for his students and despite his mastery of drawing, he still his able to pass along his knowledge and instill self-confidence in his students. I would not know how to improve it (his class).

  • Engaging teacher.

  • Was very open with his techniques and tips.


I’m totally confident that Mr. Sekhem could prove to be a valuable asset to any arts teaching program. Please feel free to contact me if you need additional information.

Kind Regards,

Lisa Sullivan 
Executive Director   
Sharon Art Studio - Golden Gate Park/ San Francisco


Message To My Fellow Artists

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Work on yourself 
work on yourself as much if not more than you work on your art
work on your spiritual development
life has many layers beyond what we can see, touch, taste, smell and physically feel

Let your art and your effort put into it serve as a symbol of your spiritual reality
Just as you stroke at a painting to reach a desired outcome
Do the same with your attitude and outlook on life
Continue to learn, seek out knowledge and understand that will help you 
take control of your reality in the same way you control a paint brush

Just as we strive to make the canvas look as we want it to 
We can and should strive to make our life look as we want it to 
Our visual art is a reflection of our inner art
Yes I said inner art
What is going on in our mind is art and we can and should take control 
to create a beautiful work of it.

You are beautiful, you need not search for beauty within yourself
Thats like walking while trying to figure out how to make your legs move
Search for ways to magnify your natural beauty
Seek and Ye Shall Find (Guaranteed)
As the saying goes "A work of art is never truly finished"

Study yourself, study life, study those you admire
With the same vigor and passion that you study your art

I have found the more I grow spiritually, the more my art becomes more pleasing to my eyes.

- Dawood (Marion) Sekhem
   Visual Artist / Educator

Another digital drawing demo video/ I sang the acapella:)

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In this video I was at a figure drawing workshop when quite often I get bored with drawing the model and start drawing other attendees. This drawing was created using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom digital pen tablet. I've been using the Wacom a lot lately to switch things up a bit. It's very fun however I would strongly recommend to those who are still trying to gain confidence in their drawing to work in traditional mediums predominately. While working in digital media is fun and appears to be easier since you can simply undo unwanted strokes, I've found that traditional practices like using pen and paper and drawing from life are the best for enhancing drawing ability.

So!! I am happy to say that I sang the acapella soundtrack in this video. I've been doing this for years though I hadn't made them public till now. I will be releasing an album of my songs in the near future.




Digital Drawing

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This is a quick sketch I did of the director of the school I teach at. I have been working in Photoshop CS6 and a Wacom tablet a lot lately as I have been getting bored with drawing with pen. Funny that happened (getting bored with traditional media) right after I made my beautiful leather sketchbook.  I love drawing with the Wacom, I remember when I bought my first one and it sat in my closet for months because it was so awkward to work with but now its a breeze. Digital painting is a great exercise however it may be best to sharpen you drawing ability on paper before hand, the computer is only a tool and won't, I repeat won't create any of the picture for you. The Wacom won't make your drawings or paintings look good regardless how much you hit undo. Actually I hardly ever use undo, I like to draw and paint in Photoshop just as if it were on paper, using no eraser. I also have a digital drawing video I will upload soon, the topic will be  " Excellence vs. Mediocrity."


Drawing flowers with Ruth and Bola / typography

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I had a great afternoon/evening drawing with Ruth Smith and Bola Thompson. We drew flower in a jar while Bola painted her grand daughter.

Inspired by Barron Storey, I've been drawing type lately. I like the way the letters came out in this drawings. I'm gonna practice and practice until I create a unique style of drawing type.


I created a New Sketchbook!!

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So I am approaching the completion of filling my first sketchbook with drawings and paintings, now I have created another sketchbook. This is my fourth sketchbook created by my own hands; I created the first one for myself, one was for a family member and another I created for Humble King in Florida who saw the photos I posted of the first book and commission me to create one for him (Thanks for your support Humble King!!) This new book is created of the same vegetable-tanned leather but this time I dyed the leather with a saddle tan and added a polish protective finish which really juices up the tan dye giving it luster.

Oh I can hardly wait to have a volume or about 20 - 40 of these sketchbooks on my bookshelf filled with my drawings and paintings. When I reach 50 sketchbooks I will have a room built in my house for them to be stored. Perhaps I will name it Sketch Mahal:)

Time to draw!! After I get some sleep (it's 4am).

Here is a shot of the leather after I dyed and polished it just before sewing in the paper (on the left). You can see a difference between the new dyed polished leather and my first book in the right. The first book not being coated with a protective polish collected scratches and stains, but I still love it blemishes and all.






Here are "some" of the supplies I used to create this book. Not showing is the wax, protective leather polish, ruler and paper roll... wait, I guess you can slightly see the paper roll in the back.


Here is a video showing the drawings and paintings in my first book.

Skeletorous

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Skeleton study that turned out looking more like an H.R. Giger homage. I added the initial pass of the outline drawing to show how when you have a solid drawing to begin with you can then focus on value/shading. I've been having my 8th graders draw the skeleton for about a week and it inspired me to chime in as well. I will create an album and post they're work soon.


Figure Drawing in Golden Gate Park

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Studying the human figure
Very fun stuff! Looking at Leonardo di Vinci for information and inspiration with drawing anatomy. I will be posting more of these studies in the future.



I've never formally studied anatomy although I am becoming very interested in it. Well Leonardo's drawings spark my interest in it actually. I love the way he renders muscles and creates depth of mass with extreme dark to light.
Tip: To create depth in a subject remember that the deep areas (furthest from the camera) are extremely dark and as you move closer to the camera it begins to fade lighter. A common problem I've seen with many artists is they don't go dark enough in the darkest areas. 

Look at the drawings below
I marked the drawing below in varied areas of value with 3 being the darkest and 1 being "close" to the lightest. The lightest values I didn't mark. 




Drawing bikes - 84 pontiac dream

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Damn it was fun drawing this bike tonight on the train!!!
I drew this listening to '84 Pontiac Dream
by: Boards of Canada

I had the volume up VERY VERY LOUD!!

The music hypnotized me and I was carried through the drawing. These experiences are some of my best anti drug moments - when creativity produces the euphoria that many seek from drugs and alcohol.

Recommended Music Download:
84 pontiac dream by Boards of Canada


Reportagin'

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Been deeply invested in teaching 8th graders at Oakland School For The Arts so I haven't posted in about 3 weeks - whooooosh!! But I think I'm back on track now, just have to plan in drawing and posting time into my busy schedule. This is a drawing I did while out with the highschool students at Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.
Reportage drawing done with ballpoint pen.
Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland


Here is a shot of one of my 8th grade students stroking away at a reportage of San Pablo street in Oakland. I am having them to lots of contour drawing and it is helping them grow in confidence tremendously in short periods of time. These are 14 year students with the heart to listen to and apply the wisdom in my lectures. I really love teaching!!!! Can't stress that enough though it's stress free - ha ha.



Motivational journal entry...

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Conceive - Believe - Achieve

I remember when I was in grade school, I would here this from adults like the principal and thought it was mere fluffy stuff that adults were supposed to say. 

I know now they were right

Conceive - Believe - Achieve

All of us do this 
We all conceive an idea
Believe in it
Then achieve it.

but what ideas are we Conceiving - Believing and Achieving?

The Great Les Brown says "It's not that people aim too high and miss - it's that they aim too low and hit." 

I remember aiming only for what I thought I was able to accomplish. Then I learned to set my goals higher so I could grow. 

Conceive - Believe - Achieve

Self Improvement is my new love
and as I improve myself and escalate to higher levels of awareness and discipline, I help those around me do the same. 

First you Conceive an idea

Then Believe that you can do it

Now go out and Achieve it.

Look at it this way - 
If there are others with blood skin and bones who have done it
then I can as well.

CONCEIVE  it  BELIEVE  it  ACHIEVE  it

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