Here’s the second post in a new series of short reels to showcase my sketches. So, this is my depiction of a goldfinch. A once frequent visitor to my garden that would feed from wild teasels and thistles. This is a species that is doing really well with around 1.7 million breeding pairs in the…
Tag: Nature
MY SKETCHES: HOUSE SPARROW
Here’s the first post in a new series of short reels to showcase my sketches, just a hobby, but such a great way to chill out and clear the mind, so I can get a little respite from the stories that are constantly smashing away at my brain. So, this is my depiction of a…
My Sketches: Lepus
This sketch is my interpretation of a Lepus, a fictional hare/jackrabbit from my YA fantasy novel – The Sweep, which will be released in 2026. In the story, Lepus, once tame pets were abandoned by the wealthy inhabitants of the city as they climbed away from the rising smog, and were no longer able to…
My Sketches: Pond Life
This sketch is my interpretation of a composition from a front cover of an old Ladybird book, I’ve owned since my childhood days back in Birmingham – which proves it was not just about eating lots of corned beef hash, and going down the Blues. KRO! The Ladybird Book of Pond Life, was one edition…
My Sketches: Vulpes
This sketch is my interpretation of a Vulpes, a fictional giant fox from my YA fantasy novel – The Sweep, which will be released in 2026. In the story, the Vulpes, once tame pets were abandoned by the wealthy inhabitants of the city as they climbed away from the rising smog, and were no longer…
My Sketches: Peacock Butterfly
The Peacock has to be one of the UK’s most charismatic butterflies. With striking wing markings that hark back to the days of the Spitfire, and that flash of colour reminiscent of the feathers of the peacock, it is of course named after. Did you know…? The Peacock has one of the longer lifespans of…
My Sketches: DODO
This sketch of a Dodo was drawn in the research phase of a W.I.P (work in progress) entitled – The Forbidden Library. My research for this project drew me into the world of extinction, the fragility of ecosystems, and the sadness and finality of life on earth. The fascinating history of this flightless bird was…
My Sketches: Common Dolphin
Here is a sketch of a dolphin, inspired by the old insignia of Hall Green Secondary school in Birmingham, where I grew up. Did you know…? Dolphins sleep with only half of their brain at a time…a phenomenon called uni-hemispheric slow wave sleep (USWS). This allows them to rest whilst remaining alert to utilise critical…
My Sketches: Black Cerva
Sketching nature has had a profound influence in imagining some of the beasts, monsters and hybrids, I depict in my books. Here is a pencil sketch of a hybrid stag, known as a Black Cerva, a nocturnal creature that roams the grounds of an orphanage in my forthcoming YA Novel – The Sweep… Did you…
My Sketches: Grey Heron
Sketching nature has always been a bit of a hobby of mine, just to help me chill out on those days when the words just won’t come. I sketch from photos, or from pages of classic books, and images that resonate with me. So I thought I’d share a few of these with you and…
Tom Harris Writes 