History Main / ArtAttacker

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[[quoteright:349:[[VideoGame/Splatoon2 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/splatoon_versus_art.png]]]]

* In ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Catching Fire]]'' Peeta uses his solo session with the game makers to paint an image of Rue covered in flowers to hold them responsible for her death.
* Creator/SusanCooper's ''Literature/TheDarkIsRising'' series novel ''Literature/{{Greenwitch}}''. A man working for the Dark paints a picture that acts as a spell to control the Greenwitch.
* ''Creator/StephenKing'':
** In the final novel of ''Literature/TheDarkTower'', this plays a major role in the defeat of [[spoiler:The Crimson King]].
** ''Literature/DumaKey'', involves both a protagonist and an antagonist who use this...sort of. [[spoiler:The protagonist, Edgar, is possessed by an EldritchAbomination named Perse who gives his paintings power. Edgar uses a painting to kill an AssholeVictim who wholly deserved it, but Perse uses the paintings to do worse things.]]

* The minor ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' villain Pix has the power to bring her [[AnimatedTattoo tattoos (body art) to life]]. She originally used this power to kill her targets by tattooing a design on them, and then activating the tattoo. For example, a gang banger who had a sword tattooed on his chest suddenly found himself with a very real sword sticking through his chest.
* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'':

* [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Human Torch]] (and later ''Franchise/SpiderMan'') foe, Wilhelm van Vile (a.k.a. 'Painter of 1000 Perils') possesses enchanted paints that allow him to paint inanimate matter to life. These creations can be erased from existence if he desires so. On top of that, the paints grant him superhuman speed when painting.

** One Assist Trophy debuting in ''Ultimate'' is Nikki from ''Swapnote'', who shows up in the lower-left corner of the screen and can draw various pictures that affect other fighters. These can include a [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bullet Bill]], a fire-breathing monster, a pinwheel that produces wind, ghosts that capture fighters, and even a Smash Ball (which works the same as any other Smash Ball).

* ''Franchise/SuperSmashBros'':

* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', Bowser Jr.'s [[LimitBreak Final Smash]] is him turning into [[VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine Shadow Mario]] and obscuring most of the screen with an orange painted X, which damages opponents who make contact with it.

** ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'': Kakyoin does this while he's BrainwashedAndCrazy early in the story. He attacks Jotaro by making a painting of him, then slashing the leg with red paint, causing a gash to appear on Jotaro's leg; later on, he uses a marionette to control the school nurse's body. After he's freed from DIO's mind control, it's shown that this was all unnecessary (since he then fights directly along with his [[FightingSpirit Stand]] Hierophant Green), suggesting that it was just [[EvilIsHammy theatrical flair]].
** ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'':

** ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'':

* The ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series features many bosses like this, mostly as {{Mook Maker}}s. The most well-known is Paint Roller in ''Kirby's Adventure''. ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' has Ado, and ''VideoGame/Kirby64'' features Adeleine, as a boss turned ally.

** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'' has Vincent Van Gore, whose paintings of ghostly {{Mooks}} come to life.

* ''Manga/FairyTail'' has Pict Magic, a subtype of Holder Magic (magic which makes use of items), by which practitioners can summon items or familiars, generate attacks including fire blasts, or rend holes in the earth. Reedus Jonah, a minor member of the titular guild, is the most well-known user of Pict Magic [[spoiler:and prior to the timeskip he was]] comically huge and rotund so that he can use his giant stomach as his canvas.
** The [[EvilSorcerer Dark Guild]] Red Hood is made up of members who all use advanced Pict Magic; they're so skilled with it, they don't need canvases and can just draw in the air. They're also capable of Unison Pict, the pinnacle of Pict Magic which allows them to combine their drawings into the most advanced of spells.

** ''VideoGame/WarioLand4'' has [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Hoggus Hoggus]] in the Doodle Woods, who sketches pictures of enemies that subsequently come to life and attack Wario. Deburinas also emerge from pictures in the same level.

** ''Trap Team'' gives us Short Cut (a tailor armed with Traptanium {{shear|Menace}}s whose needlework immobilizes enemies) and Wolfgang (a [[NinjaZombiePirateRobot werewolf rock star]] whose guitar--in addition to being a literal [[{{Pun}} axe]]--emits destructive notes).
** ''Superchargers'' gives us Splat (a satyr whose bo staff/double-ended paintbrush lays down damaging paint and summons paint constructs to aid her) and Fiesta (a ghostly mariachi player whose weapon is a trumpet and is backed up by [[AssistCharacter his band]]).

** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' has Vincent Van Gore, whose paintings of ghostly {{Mooks}} come to life.

*** Ungalo's Stand; Bohemian Rhapsody, causes fictional characters over the entire earth to come to life. When a person runs into a character they like, they get the character's role and are doomed to share their fate. For example, if you really like Creator/VincentVanGogh and run into one of his self portraits, you will cut off your own ear and [[AteHisGun kill yourself]]. How is the Stand beaten? [[spoiler:[[HoistByHisOwnPetard Weather Report has Vincent van Gogh draw a fictional character whose ability is to stop Bohemian Rhapsody]]]].

** Evening Shower Kanjuro can make anything he draws come to life to help him. Though there's a hilarious subversion from other people in One Piece (and probably Manga in general) who use magical drawings; Kanjuro's drawings are ''awful'', and most of his attacks are squiggly and pathetic, and turns what could easily be one of the strongest Devil Fruits in the world (an ImaginationBasedPower in a world where power increases are entirely determined by imaginative thinking instead of linear increases) into a complete and utter joke. [[spoiler: At least, until it's revealed that he's [[IAmNotLeftHanded not using his dominant hand]] to be unthreatening while playing the part of TheMole, when he switches to his actual drawing hand he proves exactly as dangerous as his power should entail him being]].

** Also, [[Characters/GLGreenLanternCorps Kyle Rayner]] is an artist, and while it's not always explicitly shown, he wields his ring as an art form; that's his style.
** Meanwhile, [[Characters/GLGreenLanternCorps John Stewart]] was an architect, and all of his ring [[StealthPun constructs]] have blueprint-like attention to detail.
* ''ComicBook/HumanTorch'' (and later ''Franchise/SpiderMan'') foe, Wilhelm van Vile (a.k.a. 'Painter of 1000 Perils') possesses enchanted paints that allow him to paint inanimate matter to life. These creations can be erased from existence if he desires so. On top of that, the paints grant him superhuman speed when painting.

* ComicBook/TheJoker in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989'' describes himself as such to Vicki Vale.
* ''Film/TalesFromTheHood'': Walter Johnson discovers his drawings have the ability to do real harm after crumpling a drawing of his bully causes spontaneous injuries for said bully. He later uses this ability [[spoiler:to kill his mother's abusive boyfriend.]]

* In the final novel of ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'', this plays a major role in the defeat of [[spoiler:The Crimson King]].
* Another ''Creator/StephenKing'' novel, ''Literature/DumaKey'', involves both a protagonist and an antagonist who use this...sort of. [[spoiler:The protagonist, Edgar, is possessed by an EldritchAbomination named Perse who gives his paintings power. Edgar uses a painting to kill an AssholeVictim who wholly deserved it, but Perse uses the paintings to do worse things.]]

* ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'' has a court wizard who places spells on people by drawing them, using their likeness for SympatheticMagic.

%%* ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' MonsterOfTheWeek [[http://powerrangers.wikia.com/wiki/Artistmole Artistmole]]

* ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'' series has the Panda King, a firework artist who uses fireworks in combat and to help his crimes.

** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'': Kakyoin does this while he's BrainwashedAndCrazy early in the story. He attacks Jotaro by making a painting of him, then slashing the leg with red paint, causing a gash to appear on Jotaro's leg; later on, he uses a marionette to control the school nurse's body. After he's freed from DIO's mind control, it's shown that this was all unnecessary (since he then fights directly along with his [[FightingSpirit Stand]] Hierophant Green), suggesting that it was just [[EvilIsHammy theatrical flair]].
** ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'':

** ''Manga/StoneOcean'':

Unlike a StarvingArtist (who is dying ''for'' their art), an Art Attacker has someone else dying ''from'' their art. The attacker can be, but is not necessarily, a MadArtist or a CulturedBadass. Their WeaponSpecialization might be an InstrumentOfMurder, ThePenIsMightier, a WeaponizedCamera or something else. They may be able to create AnomalousArt. And if they run a WaxMuseumMorgue, then their victims are very, very screwed.

SuperTrope to ComedyAsAWeapon, DanceBattler, MarionetteMaster, MusicalAssassin, and PaperMaster. Those examples should be listed on their own pages. SubTrope of ImprobableWeaponUser. Compare ArtInitiatesLife, BrownNote, ImaginationBasedSuperpower and RewritingReality.

* [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Yayoi Kise]] in ''Fanfic/{{Respect}}'' has these powers as a [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Puella Magi]], specializing in [[PhantomZonePicture Phantom Zone Pictures.]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'', Ed's [[WeaponOfChoice "tool"]] is a paint brush, which he can use to make ink paintings with which to fight off spectral beings.

Unlike a StarvingArtist (who is dying ''for'' their art), an Art Attacker has someone else dying ''from'' their art. The attacker can be, but is not necessarily, a MadArtist or a CulturedBadass. Their WeaponOfChoice might be an InstrumentOfMurder, ThePenIsMightier, a WeaponizedCamera or something else. They may be able to create AnomalousArt. And if they run a WaxMuseumMorgue, then their victims are very, very screwed.

This trope has nothing to do with the TV series, ''Series/ArtAttack''. Or someone literally or [[CausticCritic metaphorically]] attacking a piece of art.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonWack'': The [[BizarroElements Paint type]] has been added. As you may expect, Smeargle (A painter Pokemon that uses its paint brush shaped tail to both paint and attack) has been given this type, as well as Octillery's [[SuperMode Mega Evolution]] (which is exclusive to this game).

* One group of interest for the ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' is the art group "Are We Cool Yet?", who specialize in producing artwork with anomalous properties - sometimes with deadly results.