[Fan Art] Discovered "The Only Turtle Left" Tragic Artwork

*Refractive Reflections* · 11-14-2012, 09:10 PM

I discovered searching through the DeviantArt website, which is probably one of the heaviest and tragic pieces of TMNT artwork in going through the TMNT fanwork. (Some of you may have seen this same topic at a different TMNT forum that I posted beforehand, but I wanted to mention it here too! Sorry beforehand if somebody already posted this fanart earlier.)

I have to admit that this artist really captured the distraught heartbreak of each individual Turtle when it dawns on each one, of being the ONLY turtle left alive. The ominous colors of the background, and the body language truly stands out here! The brotherhood family loss is beyond palpable.

And the detail...just WOW!

You can tell that each one fought to the bitter end to save his brothers with all of the bloody lacerations, cracks in their plastrons, bruises, and other injuries; but sadly still they couldn't be saved...

My compliments to that artist (uses the name DeadPea) since it usually takes a lot for fan artwork to really make me revisit it over and over and over again.

Michelangelo:

My personal caption: The most carefree, upbeat, warm-hearted, and spirited turtle has had his innocence shattered, it will take a lifetime to ever get back to that place...if ever...

http://deadpea.deviantart.com/art/MI...hers-308328116

Donatello:

My personal caption: The introverted turtle who was always behind the scenes and helping with the technical aspects of their battles, will truly understand how it feels to be completely alone and unnoticed.

http://deadpea.deviantart.com/art/DO...hers-303632380

Raphael:

My personal caption: The toughest and hardened ones can be the most passionate and emotional, after this...it will ignite a revengeful fury that will never be quenched from a scar so deep.

http://deadpea.deviantart.com/art/RA...hers-298343704

If you go to the websites below each artwork, it will provide the artist's DeviantArt site with higher resolution and a bigger image. These are the type of artworks that inspire tragic TMNT fanfiction.

The artist is still working on Leonardo though....sorry Leonardo fans...

Update: He's also planning one tragic artwork for Splinter as well (when he discovers all 4 Turtles have died.)

*Powder* · 11-14-2012, 10:05 PM

I am of the opinion that they're trying a little too hard to be edgy, but that's not to harp on the art itself, which obviously takes great skill to create.

**Jester** · 11-14-2012, 10:07 PM

Great pieces, but really depressing subject matter.

cartoonistaaron · 11-14-2012, 10:10 PM

They're definitely well drawn and colored! Also over-the-top melodramatic!

zodiac brave · 11-14-2012, 10:13 PM

i think the donnie one is the most striking. i like the raph one the least...something about the pose. They're all beautiful though.

*Refractive Reflections* · 11-15-2012, 12:03 AM

"little too hard to be edgy"? "over-the-top melodramatic"? In this artwork...?

C'mon guys, didn't the Mirage/Image comics have just as heavy emotional scenes/depressing scenes? Maybe not as heavy as 3 brothers dying, but the separation of all of them in their eventual futures.

Well I guess when you deal with life/death battles, what else can one expect then...

*zkarlette* · 11-15-2012, 12:22 AM

This art is incredibly Amaizing , even if it is a little sad. I wonder if there is a Leo version?

*Powder* · 11-15-2012, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLS

"little too hard to be edgy"? "over-the-top melodramatic"? In this artwork...?

C'mon guys, didn't the Mirage/Image comics have just as heavy emotional scenes/depressing scenes? Maybe not as heavy as 3 brothers dying, but the separation of all of them in their eventual futures.

Well I guess when you deal with life/death battles, what else can one expect then...

Art is arguably the most subjective thing on earth, or at least in entertainment. You did put this here in a public place to share your thoughts on the work, it's to be expected that others would do the same. One might say that the mirage comics' "emotional scenes" felt more natural. But again, it's all open to interpretation. It's not all the fault of the subject matter, some of it lies in the execution of it. Blood, for example, is in my opinion incredibly tacky in this particular case. It takes the class out of it. Something truly sorrowful, seeking such a raw emotional response, should flow with ease, rather than use extreme imagery or suggestion to force those feelings.

*Candy Kappa* · 11-15-2012, 12:57 AM

bit over-the-top. Of the three you barely see one of the turtles face, which is a bit redundant.

Nice understanding of muscle, anatomy and drawing fabric. very nice coloring job. The blood splats in Don's picture is too much and are really distracting. The background in Mikey's image is more interesting them Mikey himself.

I like Raph's Carapace.

Bossa Nova · 11-15-2012, 01:39 AM

These three pieces (how I wish there was one for Leo and Splinter), is actually what reignited in me my childhood love for the Turtles in the first place, so yes, you could call me a fan of these.

I saw Raph's picture first and of the three it's still my favorite. The attention to detail, such as how he's curling his toes in anguish, pulling himself in, is so human, and so true to life, that I still feel very sad if I stare at it for too long. Before seeing these pics, while I still loved the Turtles, I hadn't really thought about them too much over the past few years, and on a whim I decided to check up on DA just what was new. It was only once I saw these that I remembered just what it is I loved about the Turtles in the first place, their deep bonds of brotherhood, the potential for grittier, raw emotions, opportunities to explore darker themes and just plain bad-ass fighting.

Yeah, I got all that from these three pics, but I'm not going to care how lame it sounds. Thanks to them, I dove headfirst back into the TMNT-verse and only wish it had been sooner.

*Mzx10484* · 11-15-2012, 03:48 AM

Great artistical skills, doubtless. But I have never experienced the Turtles like that. I agree with the opinion, that feelings are forced here. Feelings which you might get when you put yourself in these situations. In my subjective opinion, the Turtles comics, toons and movies never caused such morosely feelings in me. And I have just noticed that I don't set value in these feelings regarding the Turtles.

*Refractive Reflections* · 11-15-2012, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powder

Art is arguably the most subjective thing on earth, or at least in entertainment. You did put this here in a public place to share your thoughts on the work, it's to be expected that others would do the same. One might say that the mirage comics' "emotional scenes" felt more natural. But again, it's all open to interpretation. It's not all the fault of the subject matter, some of it lies in the execution of it. Blood, for example, is in my opinion incredibly tacky in this particular case. It takes the class out of it. Something truly sorrowful, seeking such a raw emotional response, should flow with ease, rather than use extreme imagery or suggestion to force those feelings.

Thanks for explaining it Powder

, I was just wondering what parts of the scene seemed too excessive considering it was all about death.

I wasn't being critical or anything, but just very curious as to why this artwork seemed so extreme when both the comics and this fan art dealt with death so intensely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossa Nova

These three pieces (how I wish there was one for Leo and Splinter), is actually what reignited in me my childhood love for the Turtles in the first place, so yes, you could call me a fan of these.

I saw Raph's picture first and of the three it's still my favorite. The attention to detail, such as how he's curling his toes in anguish, pulling himself in, is so human, and so true to life, that I still feel very sad if I stare at it for too long. Before seeing these pics, while I still loved the Turtles, I hadn't really thought about them too much over the past few years, and on a whim I decided to check up on DA just what was new. It was only once I saw these that I remembered just what it is I loved about the Turtles in the first place, their deep bonds of brotherhood, the potential for grittier, raw emotions, opportunities to explore darker themes and just plain bad-ass fighting.

Yeah, I got all that from these three pics, but I'm not going to care how lame it sounds. Thanks to them, I dove headfirst back into the TMNT-verse and only wish it had been sooner.

Couldn't agree more Bossa Nova, even though the fanart is VERY heavy and possibly overdramatic, it forces the viewer to feel and confront the full weight of the Turtles' emotions as potential consequences in being involved in such dark, gritty, and bloody fighting action.

Ulisses31 · 11-17-2012, 09:30 AM

Mel Gibson would love these...

demonsweat · 08-01-2013, 02:54 PM

Reviving this thread because Leo just went up. The set is complete!

I'm a huge fan of these myself, but I'm a sucker for tragic stuff so... yeah.

I have to say I'm a fan of the blood and cuts on them because it gives the impression that these scenes follow immediately after that fateful battle, showing them mourning before they've even cleaned up or properly left the battlefield. It's that first, raw moment when the last of the enemies has been put down and it hits them - my brothers are dead.

artist: Deadpea on deviantart

cartoonistaaron · 08-01-2013, 03:53 PM

These things are really well done!

FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza · 08-01-2013, 04:12 PM

These are amazing.
I gotta follow this guy on DA

*BubblyShell22* · 08-01-2013, 05:45 PM

Whoa, awesome pics. They really capture the emotions of the Turtles as they deal with the loss of their brothers. The Leo one's my favorite, but I'm biased. Can't wait for Splinter's.

*Refractive Reflections* · 08-01-2013, 07:06 PM

Thank you demonsweat for adding the Leo art piece! Appreciate it!

It shows how amazing DeadPea's work is when it was just posted today, and DeadPea already has over 50 comments!

The colored bandanas of Leo's brothers around his arms give it that extra dramatic effect, with Leo trying to symbolically hold onto them despite his lifelong separation from them now.

*snake* · 08-01-2013, 07:17 PM

The-this is so sad *sniff* and so beautiful at the same time

Captain PunchYouHard · 08-01-2013, 08:58 PM

Man. They were all heavy, but I really got that punched-in-the-gut feeling from Leo. He carried them figuratively for so long, and now he's carrying what's left of them literally. There's so much bad allegory out there that good allegory is stunning to behold.

11-14-2012, 09:10 PM	#1
Refractive Reflections Mad Scientist $Refractive Reflections's Avatar$ Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 2,371	Discovered "The Only Turtle Left" Tragic Artwork I discovered searching through the DeviantArt website, which is probably one of the heaviest and tragic pieces of TMNT artwork in going through the TMNT fanwork. (Some of you may have seen this same topic at a different TMNT forum that I posted beforehand, but I wanted to mention it here too! Sorry beforehand if somebody already posted this fanart earlier.) I have to admit that this artist really captured the distraught heartbreak of each individual Turtle when it dawns on each one, of being the ONLY turtle left alive. The ominous colors of the background, and the body language truly stands out here! The brotherhood family loss is beyond palpable. And the detail...just WOW! You can tell that each one fought to the bitter end to save his brothers with all of the bloody lacerations, cracks in their plastrons, bruises, and other injuries; but sadly still they couldn't be saved... My compliments to that artist (uses the name DeadPea) since it usually takes a lot for fan artwork to really make me revisit it over and over and over again. Michelangelo: My personal caption: The most carefree, upbeat, warm-hearted, and spirited turtle has had his innocence shattered, it will take a lifetime to ever get back to that place...if ever... http://deadpea.deviantart.com/art/MI...hers-308328116 Donatello: My personal caption: The introverted turtle who was always behind the scenes and helping with the technical aspects of their battles, will truly understand how it feels to be completely alone and unnoticed. http://deadpea.deviantart.com/art/DO...hers-303632380 Raphael: My personal caption: The toughest and hardened ones can be the most passionate and emotional, after this...it will ignite a revengeful fury that will never be quenched from a scar so deep. http://deadpea.deviantart.com/art/RA...hers-298343704 If you go to the websites below each artwork, it will provide the artist's DeviantArt site with higher resolution and a bigger image. These are the type of artworks that inspire tragic TMNT fanfiction. The artist is still working on Leonardo though....sorry Leonardo fans... Update: He's also planning one tragic artwork for Splinter as well (when he discovers all 4 Turtles have died.) Last edited by Refractive Reflections; 11-15-2012 at 12:05 AM.
$Refractive Reflections is offline$

11-14-2012, 10:07 PM	#3
Jester Rat-faced Dude-guy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 26,298	Great pieces, but really depressing subject matter. __________________ "Clearly, you're Ninja Turtling incorrectly." - Leo656

11-14-2012, 10:13 PM	#5
zodiac brave Stone Warrior Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: san antonio, tx Posts: 822	i think the donnie one is the most striking. i like the raph one the least...something about the pose. They're all beautiful though. __________________ what we were after, was lashings of ultra-violence.

11-15-2012, 12:03 AM	#6
Refractive Reflections Mad Scientist $Refractive Reflections's Avatar$ Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 2,371	"little too hard to be edgy"? "over-the-top melodramatic"? In this artwork...? C'mon guys, didn't the Mirage/Image comics have just as heavy emotional scenes/depressing scenes? Maybe not as heavy as 3 brothers dying, but the separation of all of them in their eventual futures. Well I guess when you deal with life/death battles, what else can one expect then...
$Refractive Reflections is offline$

11-15-2012, 12:22 AM	#7
zkarlette Fashionably late Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CA Posts: 4,146	This art is incredibly Amaizing , even if it is a little sad. I wonder if there is a Leo version? __________________ "If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time" E.W

11-14-2012, 10:05 PM	#2
Powder 40 Years of TMNT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shell-Ri-La Posts: 26,945	I am of the opinion that they're trying a little too hard to be edgy, but that's not to harp on the art itself, which obviously takes great skill to create.

11-14-2012, 10:10 PM	#4
cartoonistaaron Stone Warrior Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 737	They're definitely well drawn and colored! Also over-the-top melodramatic!

11-15-2012, 12:57 AM	#9
Candy Kappa The Agenda of Existing Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vikingland Posts: 14,596	bit over-the-top. Of the three you barely see one of the turtles face, which is a bit redundant. Nice understanding of muscle, anatomy and drawing fabric. very nice coloring job. The blood splats in Don's picture is too much and are really distracting. The background in Mikey's image is more interesting them Mikey himself. I like Raph's Carapace. __________________ devianArt Instagram Youtube Tumblr Art Blog Patreon

11-15-2012, 01:39 AM	#10
Bossa Nova Stone Warrior Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: United States, California Posts: 592	These three pieces (how I wish there was one for Leo and Splinter), is actually what reignited in me my childhood love for the Turtles in the first place, so yes, you could call me a fan of these. I saw Raph's picture first and of the three it's still my favorite. The attention to detail, such as how he's curling his toes in anguish, pulling himself in, is so human, and so true to life, that I still feel very sad if I stare at it for too long. Before seeing these pics, while I still loved the Turtles, I hadn't really thought about them too much over the past few years, and on a whim I decided to check up on DA just what was new. It was only once I saw these that I remembered just what it is I loved about the Turtles in the first place, their deep bonds of brotherhood, the potential for grittier, raw emotions, opportunities to explore darker themes and just plain bad-ass fighting. Yeah, I got all that from these three pics, but I'm not going to care how lame it sounds. Thanks to them, I dove headfirst back into the TMNT-verse and only wish it had been sooner. __________________ Nova's TMNT Fanfics

11-15-2012, 03:48 AM	#11
Mzx10484 WEM Super Starfinder 200 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 2,085	Great artistical skills, doubtless. But I have never experienced the Turtles like that. I agree with the opinion, that feelings are forced here. Feelings which you might get when you put yourself in these situations. In my subjective opinion, the Turtles comics, toons and movies never caused such morosely feelings in me. And I have just noticed that I don't set value in these feelings regarding the Turtles.

08-01-2013, 02:54 PM	#14
demonsweat Stone Warrior Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: a warm place Posts: 555	Reviving this thread because Leo just went up. The set is complete! I'm a huge fan of these myself, but I'm a sucker for tragic stuff so... yeah. I have to say I'm a fan of the blood and cuts on them because it gives the impression that these scenes follow immediately after that fateful battle, showing them mourning before they've even cleaned up or properly left the battlefield. It's that first, raw moment when the last of the enemies has been put down and it hits them - my brothers are dead. artist: Deadpea on deviantart __________________ stuff to read: fanfiction.net / deviantArt stuff to look at: Sweat's Dojo / Screencap Gallery

08-01-2013, 03:53 PM	#15
cartoonistaaron Stone Warrior Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 737	These things are really well done!

08-01-2013, 04:12 PM	#16
FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza Mad Scientist Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,229	These are amazing. I gotta follow this guy on DA

08-01-2013, 05:45 PM	#17
BubblyShell22 Leo-holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 16,912	Whoa, awesome pics. They really capture the emotions of the Turtles as they deal with the loss of their brothers. The Leo one's my favorite, but I'm biased. Can't wait for Splinter's. __________________ "A warrior who never fails, never learns."-The Ancient One. "Embrace your inner a**holiness."-Mr. Anderson.

08-01-2013, 07:06 PM	#18
Refractive Reflections Mad Scientist $Refractive Reflections's Avatar$ Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 2,371	Thank you demonsweat for adding the Leo art piece! Appreciate it! It shows how amazing DeadPea's work is when it was just posted today, and DeadPea already has over 50 comments! The colored bandanas of Leo's brothers around his arms give it that extra dramatic effect, with Leo trying to symbolically hold onto them despite his lifelong separation from them now.
$Refractive Reflections is offline$

08-01-2013, 07:17 PM	#19
snake Disgusting Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Outer Heaven Posts: 12,231	The-this is so sad sniff and so beautiful at the same time

08-01-2013, 08:58 PM	#20
Captain PunchYouHard Hench Mutant Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 334	Man. They were all heavy, but I really got that punched-in-the-gut feeling from Leo. He carried them figuratively for so long, and now he's carrying what's left of them literally. There's so much bad allegory out there that good allegory is stunning to behold. __________________ (GIF by Martinf)