The animal kingdom has greatly influenced the art society. Ranging simply from photographs of cats to giving humans zebra print skin, the outcome is usually quite interesting, especially in the latter. In this article I attempt to explore the extent of which the animal kingdom comes into art of all forms.
Anyone who has tried to photograph even just a domestic dog could probably say it is often challenging. They keep moving; they sniff the camera, get bored and go away, or they do the cutest thing that makes you think "hey! That would make a great picture!" then by the time you've got your camera out, they've stopped doing it and won't do it again - it's through these reasons that I snap away while they sleep. Despite this, there are a lot of people who are able to get amazing photographs of animals, both domestic and wild, and put the rest of us to shame. Half of these people are here on deviantART among us, and with their expensive equipment and studios they can create masterpieces with little more than a greyhound's gloomy eyes or a springer's smile.
Then there's also make up art that draws influence from the animal kingdom, although that usually only involves marking the prints out on one's face, but when it's done properly it can look exquisite. Depending on the chosen print, though, it can vary. A stripey animal such as a zebra would probably come out better than a flecked animal like a leopard, as it's simpler, and can also be easy to get a great photo out of - black and white fabrics, possibly some of which stripey; zebra print clothes; black hair, then turn the photo black and white and increase the contrast (copyright Kim Wedlock xD). There really are some fantastic works, but make up art is often misconcepted as photography work and gets overlooked because of the empty shot - that empty shot is because the main focus is the make up.
Not only is it just photography and physical aspects, but also fine art. Paintings and drawings are also common and portray the animal kingdom in different ways. Some more realistic drawings and paintings show the natural beauty of the animal kingdom - for example the gorilla's heartwrenchingly sad/happy expression - whereas less realistic and more comical would show the simpler side of things - for example a smiling gorilla rather than a "sad" one, giving out the more humanly recognisable intentions, as the gorilla's frown is often misconstrued to be unhappy. Both forms, however, are popular. Smiling gorillas and other animals would be suitable for children's cards and wrapping paper and the like, whereas more realistic would be suitable for the far less common worldly cards.
Not only has traditional art forms drawn inspiration from the big cats and monkeys, but so has the newer technological side. Digital art is a popular and fast-growing form of art. On the front page of deviantART, the "Popular" and "Prints" sections are often dominated by photography and digital art, the two most popular art forms on deviant art at this moment. The most common thing I see are digitally drawn and rendered images of wolves, often with evil smirks, covered with chains and tribal signs and presented in manacing stances. They, as mentioned above, use more humanly recognisable expressions and take the wild away from the animals and so are easier for observers to relate to. I've also seen some gorgeous digital art work of snow leopards and the like, and often involve stars and bright shining objects to give a much more mystical and fantasy feel to the pictures, with an added deeper implication that they are much more mysterious than they are made out to be.
Fashions and interiors have embraced animal prints since, noteably, the 1950's, with zebra and leopard print being the most popular. Animal print has made a comeback in present day, especially in the form of lingerie - however, some people on deviantART have taken it to the extreme. Outfits and costumes with more animal features than just the patterns have been cropping up more and more, some even resembling the animals themselves. They are hard to find, but they are there, and you could easily see them on a catwalk.

In relation to human-form artwork, mainly in photography, the animal kingdom's influence is strongest. Animalesque expressions and stances, mainly from the feline bloodline, are frequently notable in fashion and glamour photography. It can range from a simple clawing gesture and bared teeth, to a complete animal posture with an arched back, challenging eyes and outstreched legs and arms. They show a variety of thoughts and feelings such as anger, pride and fear, and actions such as prowling, surveying and readiness, all contributing towards a wild, animalesque appearance in humans, relayed into art.



Below are thumbs from works throughout deviantART from different artists, all showing animal influence. They range from a simple photograph of a domestic cat all the way to a peacock dress and further.


Make Up:




Traditional:
















Digital:















Photography:

















Textiles & Fashion:








Other:













Thank you everyone who participated in the thread I posted in the thumbs forum, and to everyone who responded to the notes and gave me permission to use these works. ~blacklava.