Memento (Mitarashi Anki) (Naruto)

[Celtic_Emperor]

Memento (Mitarashi Anko) (Naruto)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 🙂

Coincidentally, I finished up this picture on a holiday. I didn't have plans on uploading it or drawing it for Thanksgiving, but it works.

Anyways, this is a fanart (my first one) of Mitarashi Anko from the anime Naruto. Its also my first Naruto picture. 🙂

I wanted to include her in some sort of scenery or landscape and a forest with huge, tall trees seemed ideal. Trees and travel via trees is a big element in Naruto. I did use a reference for the forest, but changed it a bit as necessary.

As far as the theme, I titled this one Memento because here we have Mitarashi alone, and feeling the pain of the Curse Seal placed upon her by her old mentor Orochimaru. That is the memento (and its on her neck where he bit her, which is why she's grasping it).

Interesting enough, its because of the seal that she has a great deal of her power. Because of this, she tends to isolate herself, when possible, from the other shinobi, for fear she might lose control. Only in dire circumstances does she use the power she possesses. Its something she keeps to herself and only very few know about it.

When she feels the pain she wants to be alone, thus the meaning behind this portrait.

Attached is the original size for detail viewing, and also a smaller size so as to see the portrait all at once.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mitarashi Anko © Masashi Kishimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.

Artwork by & © Damien Jones 2006
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

[Plague Doctor]

nice pice dude ^^ really good combi with the background story

 

[Low_Roads]

A most pleasant outdoor tableau! The swirling random technique employed for this arboreal setting conveys a nice sense of natural order and grandeur! The leafy greens and woody browns are well blended for scenic unity; the layered approach adds effective depth, as well as attractively diffused lighting (in the same way that 19th century wood-cuts achieved scope by "fading" background detail). Mitarashi, dwarfed and isolated in this environment, still evinces ominousness... her simmering aura indicates internal forces she can barely control, even when the pastorally pristine beauty should bring her peace. Her angst is evident... an unhappy, troubled figure. You seem naturally drawn to forest imagery, Vlad, and this is one of your best examples yet! It promises very good things for your in-the-works elvish manga!

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

@ Kakashi sensai:

Thanks. Its definitely something should would do. Sometimes she's nowhere to be found. Maybe things like this explain her unexplained absense in the anime. I really hope they give her a more important role once the plot gets back on track. 🙂

LBH:

You and your reviews, man! LOL Thank you. 🙂

Its worth pointing out that Orochimaru is the main antagonist in the series who uses people for his own ends. He wasn't doing her any favors by giving the curse seal to her (which he gave it to her when she was just a young girl). He was going to attempt to use her as one of his servants, but unlike many of the servants he would have in the future, she refused and he abandoned her and left her for dead. He then defected from the Hidden Leaf Village after it was discovered he was engaging in unlawful and inhuman expermints and dabbling in forbidden black jitsus. He then disappeared and would later form his own clan to exact revenge and so forth. At one point, he builds up an army and invades Konoha and nearly succeeds in completely destroying it. He is narrowly defeated and he the remainder of his forces retreat to plot again.

So while Mitarashi (she's usually called Anko, since its customary in Japan to address people by their last name) one of the good guys, she has a shady past and the seal is a constant reminder of all of that.

Also, when a person with such a seal taps into that power they emit an aura around them during or afterwards. Even when she's not using it she feels the pain. Certain things like flashbacks and nightmares trigger the pain, also. For her, anyway.

 

[Big_Dogg85]

Points for perfect opportunity to shamelessly plug ur art Vlad, outstanding!!!

I like this pic a lot better then others because it doesn't really focus on Anko, as much as the scenery around her. I also like the inclusion of the sunlight through the trees. In most cases in Naruto, the tree jumping is seen in darkness as was the forest of death setting when the reader/viewer discovers Anko's curse mark. From a purely symbolic standpoint, the sunlight shining through the trees could represent hope: the hope that her curse mark will disappear and she then becomes free. I know it's a bit of an overanalysis, but it says so much about the artwork and its detail. A truly fantastic piece of work that must have taken quite some time to do.

Thank you for this Vlad!

 

[DarthGrinn]

breathtaking... lovely scenery. It's a very sad and lonley peice, yet peaceful.

I'm going to email this to my gf for inspiration 🙂 she's an artist too, and is always amazed at the quality of art here at the TT.

 

[the_jimmy_james]

What's the medium? It looks like pastels, but I'm guessing Photoshop. Damn good!

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

@ big_dogg85:

Thank you. 🙂 I don't think you've overanalyzed it at all. The things you mentioned were things that were intentional and things I hoped a viewer would pick up on. Its a good feeling to know that you could and did.

This one actually didn't take as much time as it may appear it take. I worked on it little by little because I'm been busy lately. I'll draw a bit then stop, then pick up a bit the next day. I'd say, altogether, it took about 5-7 hours, excluding breaks that I took. Thats actually pretty short for a hi-res picture this large.

And you're welcome. I'm glad you enjoy it. 🙂

@ rtl:

Thanks. 🙂 Hopefully she'll be inspired by it.

I also recommend going to deviantart. There are unimaginable numbers of very talented artists there. Its a goldmine for inspiration.

@ the_jimmy_james:

Now this is what I like about painter 9- when people, like you, for example, question whether or not something was done traditionally.

Its a testament to the program's ability to simulate virtually any type of style, medium, or tool. Of course, what you end up with is totally up to you. Painter IX is my art program of choice, and I use it exclusively.

Thank you. 🙂

 

[DarthGrinn]

Ya Deviant art is the hotspot for all the artsy folk lol, my gf is always showing me stuff from there =) lookin forward to your next masterpeice.

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

Does she have an account there?

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

Since it seems threads are being bumped (by the artist or others) for the new non-tickling artwork forum, I'll bump a few of mine. 🙂