I was believing Bodhidharma was Japanese. Because I played a game called "dharma-san" a lot. This is said "tag" in my dictionary. (as always no idea for the right words) anyway, everybody knows a tag called dharma-san ga koronda. and lots of designed dharma figure coloured red are here. even I loved to have a "dharma box lunch" at Takasaki station which was on the way to the country house. It futures the dhrma face(see the link). So my image of dharma is from this box lunch and thought evry kind person like a priest in the cinema.

The real bodhidharma was not like today’s deformed one. He was very stubborn and severe. He was from India, so he got large eyes and long nose. I was surprised at Hakuin or Sesshu bodhidharma paintings because they have very severe dharma san.

Tips:

1. Front neckband is the key to draw the tradional asian figure wearing kimono style clothes. I made the hard line first which was inspired by the Hakuin’s line and Sesshu’s cave rock line.

2. First, light black (more water than usual) is on the eyebrow, then before getting dry fully, put more black stroke added. So you can get some depth, profound expression. 

I was reading an art design article who are brushing thier clothes and she said, "I want to wear a dress drawn mountain Fuji." wow

anyway, Mt.Fuji can be seen from most of Tokyo and its surpurve like Chiba or Saitama. Since Tokyo is vegy vast flat land near the sea, I am not like seeing mountains everyday. So I don’t have any natural respect for the mountain rather than sea or river…

We can find the word "Fuji" in many Japanese. The popular TV station is called "Fuji TV", lots of "Fuji-mi", meaning "see Fuji" (Fuji-mi Zaka -> the hill where you can see mt.Fuji),… I can think our ancesters have loved mt.Fuji.

I once climbed to the top of there to see the sun rise. After two hour way, the bus arrived at the half point to the top. It was around six o’clock in the evening. a walking thru the night until midnight. The sun rise from the top was exciting view. more than that I still remember the fun jumping down walk on the back way.

Tips:

1. Draw the mountains around Mt.Fuji. Mt. Fuji from Tokyo is seen like this. These mountains locate in Hakone area where good hot springs is. To draw mountans, you need lay the brush and move side, so that the thick sumi ink on the top of the brush can depict the ridge line and can express the vague cloud hiding part

2. The angle of mountain Fuji is needed to exaggerate so that anyone can understand what you draw. Start with thin line and at the middle of the ridge, push the brush and throw it down. The shaft of the brush and the line direction goes toward the same way whereas the surrounding mountains are drawn by the side slide.

3. The shade of the hill: first light move and push, then run.

please see the video and feel free to ask about darwing sumi-E