Road to Artdom

In The Mix

2009-01-12T23:19:00.000-08:00

I've begun writing a weekly column every Thursdays at Michael Davis World. The column, In The Mix, follows my journey as an emerging artist.

In The Mix- Thursdays

My Art Featured in James Gunn's "Sparky and Mikaela" for XBOX Live

2008-12-04T20:18:00.001-08:00

My illustrations Send in the Clowns, I'm With Stupid, and FU Dice will be featured in James Gunn's Sparky and Mikaela for XBOX Live “Horror Directors Do Comedy” series. Gunn says, "Sparky and Mikaela is the story of a raccoon/human superhero team. They fight crime in both the forest world and in the world of human beings. I think of it as my first "message" piece.

After generations of us humans warring with our natural enemies, raccoons, it's a plea for us all to just get along. It's also a plea for more shows with girls wearing sexy superhero outfits fighting along Muppet-type procyonids." Sparky and Mikaela will debut on XBOX LIVE on December 24th. Just a few weeks after XBOX LIVE it will go to MSN.com and Zune, and will thereafter be available in numerous other places on the web, TV, and DVD. Unlike the XBox version, some of these versions will be the Director's Cut -- uncensored, pure, and untouched.

Kudos to Mercedes Blackehart!

All photos by VANCE. Poster by Marci Holmes.

The XBOX Live series features comedy shorts by horror directors, including Slither's James Gunn, Saw's James Wan, Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night's David Slade, Hatchett's Adam Green, May's Lucky McKee, Amityville Horror's Andrew Douglas, and more. "Almost every director we approached wanted to do this to show their comedic vision," Safran Digital Group CEO Peter Safran said. "Most of these guys know the Xbox demographic are also big fans of horror and the supernatural and realized this was the platform where they should be."

Air Force Art Gala

2008-11-04T19:45:00.001-08:00

Phoenix Warrior Training for Combat Rifle

McGuire Air Force Base

Fort Dix, NJ

20 x 30 in, Mixed Media, by Tatiana EL-Khouri 2008

Collection of the Pentagon

Commissioned by the Air Force Program

Above is the final painting I created for the US Air Force. It was presented at the Air Force Art Gala in Washington DC at Bolling Air Force Base along with 150 talented artists. Visiting the Nation's capital and being among so much history made me very proud of my artistic contributions to the country and its brave servicemen and women.

If you are interested in buying a print of the painting, visit the link below:

Purchase Prints

Press Coverage of my Air Force Art Trip:

http://www.mcguire.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123107378

http://www.mcguire.af.mil/news/story_media.asp?id=123103922

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123107426

Straight No Chaser Updates

2008-11-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

It has been a pleasure illustrating Michael Davis' column Straight No Chaser for www.ComicMix.com As of Friday, October 31st, Straight No Chaser #90: My Way; was the last article for Comic Mix. Don't fret- the column and my illustrations will have a new home! www.MichaelDavisWorld.com

Here are some of my latest illustrations for Comic Mix:

Air Force Art Program: USAF EC trip

2008-06-23T18:59:00.001-07:00

Last week I was privileged to represent the U.S. Air Force Art Program and visit the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center to document the Air Force Phoenix Warrior Training Course and Air Force Exercise Eagle Flag. I was joined by fellow artists James Bennett, William Frake (Ice Age- Creator of Scrat) John Finger , Steven Walker; and escorted by Tech. Sgt Scott Sturkol.

It was an amazing experience that has left me with many great memories, insightful information and over 2000+ images of photo reference to sift through. I will be making a couple of paintings that I will then be giving to the Pentagon to be apart of the U.S. Air Force's Art Collection.

To see more images of the other artists and myself go to the USAF EC and see a feature by our guide, Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
http://www.expeditionarycenter.af.mil/news/story_media.asp?id=123103914

Illustration West 47 Call for Entries Artwork & Comic Con

2008-06-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

Illustration West 47- Call for Entries Artwork
Copyright 2008 Tatiana

As the Show Chair for the Society of Illustrators Las Angeles, it has been a labor of love organizing Illustration West 47. The Student Call for Entries are currently being accepted. For more information please download the PDF here: http://www.si-la.org/Student_CFE.pdf

The Professional Call for Entires will be opening soon. We have an exciting caliber of judges lined up for this years competition that reflect the diversity of our categories from art directors, entertainment executives, illustrators, editors, and comic book professionals.

We have combined two existing categories, Entertainment and Visual Development, into one category. Doing so has allowed us to add a brand new category, Comic Books/ Graphic Novels. This year will be our first year having presence at San Diego Comic Con with an exhibitor booth and panel.

We are booth #2616. We will be in the main exhibit space located across from and next to Dark Horse Comics, Bongo Comics / Simpsons, and the industry machine known as Marvel Entertainment.

Our Panel:
Saturday, JULY 26 3:30-4:30pm
ROOM 30AB

Career Day

2008-06-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of presenting at a wonderful Career Day to 3rd - 5th graders. It really excited me to be invited to present my career as an artist and designer to the students among lawyers, city planners, bankers, and a multitude of other traditional jobs. The students openness and intrigue of the arts was very refreshing.

The Walk Of Fame: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-06-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix. To read the full article, click here:

The Walk Of Fame, by Michael Davis

Yes We Can: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-06-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix of Obama. To read the full article, click here:

Yes We Can...by Michael Davis

Sex In The City: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-05-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix of Wonder Woman working the pole. To read the full article, click here:

Sex In The City, by Michael Davis

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-05-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix of Freud and his "Dr Feel Good Pills". To read the full article, click here:

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut, by Michael Davis

Cool Like That: Straight No Chaser Illustration

2008-05-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix of Frank Sinatra. To read the full article, click here:

Cool Like That, by Michael Davis

I Got Nothing... : Straight No Chaser Illustration

2008-05-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix. To read the full article, click here:

I Got Nothing..., by Michael Davis

Sound Bites For Dummies Illustration: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-05-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix. To read the full article, click here:

Sound Bites For Dummies, by Michael Davis

Send In The Clowns Illustration: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-05-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix. To read the full article, click here:

Send In The Clowns, by Michael Davis

New York, New York Illustration: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-04-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix. To read the full article, click here:

New York, New York, by Michael Davis

The Way We Were Illustration: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-04-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest Illustration on Comic Mix. To read the full article, click here:

The Way We Were, by Michael Davis

The Race Card: Straight No Chaser Comic Mix Illustration

2008-04-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2008 Tatiana

To read it and see the art full size go check out Comic Mix's column Straight No Chaser. Read the full story here: The Race Card, by Michael Davis

The Story of O 2 (kinda) Illustrations: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-03-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

This week Straight No Chaser loyal readers are in for a treat. Michael Davis wrote 1 and a half articles, so here are my 2 illustrations. To read the full articles, click here:

The Story Of O 2 (kinda) &
Strange, No STUPID Bedfellows, by Michael Davis

The Story of O Illustration: Comic Mix Straight No Chaser

2008-03-21T09:18:00.001-07:00

Copyright 2008 Tatiana

This is my second Illustration for Comic Mix's column Straight no chaser. Read the full story here:

The Story Of O, by Michael Davis

My Illustration on Comic Mix: Straight No Chaser

2008-03-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 14th marks the beginning of my commissioned Illustrations running in the column "Straight No Chaser" by Michael Davis. To read the full article click here,

The Moment Of Truth, by Michael Davis

Visit ComicMix.com next week Friday to see my next Illustration. Don't forget to check out Comic Mix regularly for great free Web Comics done by amazing talented comic book professionals and catch up on the latest news, reviews, podcasts, rants, and raves on Comic Books and Popular Culture.

Society of Illustrators NY Visit

2008-03-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

In February, I was privileged to represent the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and San Diego Society of Illustrators at a Summit concerning Illustrators and Reprographic Rights in New York at the Society of Illustrators.

I was in the company of amazing Illustrators and activists and am extremely honored to be included in the picture below:
"An incredible picture...almost too large for the camera. This is a solid coalition, not a photo op. Let the caption tell the story:

(l to r) Cynthia Turner, Society of Illustrators; Tatiana El-Khouri, SI of Los Angeles and of San Diego; Don Kilpatrick, at large; Frank Costantino, American Society of Architectural Illustrators; David Labrozze, Illustrators Club of MD, DC and VA; Terry Brown, Executive Director of ASIP; Joe Azur, Also MD, Dc and VA; John Ritter, Pittsburgh, SI; Michael Belknap, Association of Medical Illustrators; Chris Peterson, SI San Francisco; Kristin Hill and Keith Ferris, American Society of Aviation Artists; Dolores Santoliquido, Guild of Natural Science Illustrators; Brad Holland and Glenda Stocco, Illustrators Partnership of America"

Towards the end of the link below, there are more pictures of the day long meetings.
http://stage.societyillustrators.org/publications/thisweek/495.cms

----

FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS PARTNERSHIP

Here’s the link to the web cast video of An Evening With Bruce Lehman:
http://www.unitedpgremote.com/society/soi_2008_02_21.html

The house was full for what turned out to be a dramatic evening event. Mr. Lehman’s presentation was eye-opening and forceful. The 12 major illustrators organizations came together in an unprecedented act of unity.

Although accountability of current artists’ reprographic royalties was not intended to be the evening’s topic, events made them so. Watch the video and see for yourself why so many attendees have called this forum a long-overdue wake-up call.

The town hall capped a series of day-long meetings at which the 12 groups met with Mr. Lehman to discuss options and strategies. The groups voted unanimously to seek the first industry-wide mandate to represent illustrators rights.

To achieve that, the members of each group will be offered automatic joint membership in the American Society of Illustrators Partnership. Published artists who are not members of any group may join ASIP directly. We’ll notify you when and where membership forms are available for downloading.

The following 12 groups were represented:

The Society of Illustrators
The Illustrators’ Partnership of America
The Association of Medical Illustrators
The American Society of Architectural Illustrators
The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
The San Francisco Society of Illustrators
The Los Angeles Society of Illustrators
The Pittsburg Society of Illustrators
The American Society of Aviation Artists
The San Diego Society of Illustrators
The Illustrators Club of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia
The National Cartoonists Society
We invite other groups to join ASIP.

Studio Friday: The Heart of Your Studio!

2008-02-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

"Where or what is the heart of your studio/creative space? Is it your desk or maybe a special piece of furniture, a window, a piece of art on the wall, your idea board, or one of your tools, a jar with ribbons on the shelf...? "

I chose this illustration to represent the Heart of my Studio because it is an intimate view of my work process. I can usually be found with my laptop attached to my hip at any given moment of the day.

Seasons Change

2007-11-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
-Walt Disney

"Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, everything's different."
-Bill Watterson

I was doing so great blogging regularly and documenting my twist and turns on this fun and exciting ride I call my "Road to Artdom," but it's been a whirlwind during the last year and a half! Life happened and the baby steps on my journey picked up to a jog down the road, then began snowballing into a promising direction. I have made some wonderful connections and partnerships with incredible people, clients, and legends in the arts/entertainment and comic book industry. I won't go into all the details here, but you can check out my biography. I'm on the right track and you can expect to find regular updates in my journal.

In the meantime, here's a short list to catch you up on my excitement:

Bookmark my new domain name, www.TheArtofTatiana.com
My art was selected for the African American Heritage Month Calendar and Guide from the office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Department of Cultural Affairs (pg 73).
I am newly elected to the Board of Directors of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles as the 1st Vice President/ Show Chair and the Web Chair. There are a lot of great announcements to come about Illustration West 47 (The biggest Illustration competition outside of New York worldwide). I am looking forward to the great programming and events the new board and myself are currently working on. Trust me there are huge things to come this year!

Imagine That: CSUN Illustration Club Exhibition

2006-09-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Illustration by Gail Buschman

Please join me on September 29th for the Artists Reception from 6-10pm.

I had the pleasure to work closely with Gail Buschman and Laurel Long to charter the Illustration Club at California State University Northridge. It gives me great pride to see the foundation work taking shape. I will be co-curating the show as well as displaying my artwork. Imagine That is a student exhibition showcasing the work of current illustration students and CSUN alumni. On Friday, September 29,2006 the artists’ reception and Illustration Club launch party will be held. The show will run from September 29th-Octber 5th and will be at California State University Northridge's West Gallery.

Art and Design Center, Rm 201
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91330-8299
(818) 677-2156