An art lecturer from Truro and Penwith College has seen his ‘creep crawly’ creations reach a whole new audience with the publication of a book on bugs and insects.

Art and design lecturer Tom Heard has had his insect illustrations included in a new book called Project Bugs, which has been released recently by publishers Miles Kelly.

Project Bugs is an educational, but entertaining, book for children that teaches them all about the fascinating world of bugs, aided by the endlessly fun cartoons Tom provided as illustrator.

And, while this is the second Project book Tom has worked on, he’s certainly not resting on his laurels, with his overall list of books he has contributed to now in the thirties, with books ranging across fiction and educational markets for clients that include Ladybird Books and National Geographic Learning.

Tom’s involvement in the world of illustration began after he graduated from Plymouth University in 2012. His broad and impressive portfolio has been a fantastic tool when teaching the art and design students at Truro and Penwith College. In fact, one thing that Tom enjoys teaching his students is the importance of realising the transition from classroom to real life.

“I think it’s important that students develop an understanding between the tasks they complete in lesson and how these relate and prepare them for the creative industries,” he said. “I always encourage students to keep a sketchbook with them at all times as you never know when that next spark of creativity may arise.”