Flash Fiction of Paul Jariabek

A collection of historical fiction art and illustrations, featuring hand‑inked engravings, woodcuts, and oil‑on‑canvas works that bring the past to life.

The following is my collection of posts and stories specifically targeting historical fiction art and illustration. I tend to feature hand‑inked engravings, woodcuts, and oil‑on‑canvas works.

Some are my own experiments, and some are modifications of older paintings, tied to ongoing series like Sic Parvis Magna or created as standalone vignettes to support other stories. These works aim to support storytelling with historical authenticity and create an immersive experience for historical fiction readers.

Portrait of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, Tudor poet and soldier, a warrior-poet of Henry VIII's court central to historical fiction story.

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey: The Last Knight of a Dead Age

Explore the character sketch of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, a Tudor knight in Henry VIII's last war and a historical fiction short story.

An Old-World Aristocrat in the Tudor Age Born around 1516, Henry Howard entered the world with expectations as towering as his bloodline was ancient—his family's pedigree traced his lineage back to the Conquest. Some of England’s finest humanist scholars polished the future earl’s …...

Portrait of Gregory Trelawney, a Tudor character sketch in historical fiction set during the Siege of Montreuil

A Tudor Character Sketch: Gregory Trelawney

Explore the character sketch of Gregory Trelawney, a Tudor character caught in Henry VIII's last war, where loyalty, mortality, and honor collide.

The twenty-three-year-old Gregory Trelawney is the main character in my yet-unnamed short story set against the backdrop of the 1544 Siege of Montreuil—the last great campaign of Henry VIII, and part of the Italian Wars. As an older and wiser Captain of the Tiger, he also appears in my …...

An experiment in creating AI-generated illustrations and art for historical fiction. Pencil sketch image of galleons in a storm.

AI-Generated Illustrations for Historical Fiction: A Visual Experiment

Can AI create compelling images for historical fiction? A visual experiment using 16th-century prompts, pirates, and Francis Drake.

Cover of the historical fiction short story Retribution by Paul Jariabek

Historical Fiction Short Story Retribution By Paul Jariabek

In Retribution, young Francis Drake joins a cut-out raid in 1557, shaping his path to piracy. Read this vivid naval historical fiction tale.

Historical fiction author Paul Jariabek researches what the potential period ship that Francis Drake may have apprenticed on in the 1550s.

Researching Francis Drake's Ship the Tiger

Explore the Tiger and other ships tied to young Francis Drake's adventures—where piracy, trade, and research come alive in historical fiction.

A youthful Francis Drake before a darkening sea—evoking his early adventures and the central theme of the historical fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna.

Farm Boy to Pirate: A Character Sketch of Francis Drake

Explore the early life of Francis Drake through this historical fiction character study.

Woodcut-style illustration of a 16th-century carrack at sea, used as cover art for the historical fiction short story Retribution.

The Art in Retribution: Illustrating a Historical Fiction Short Story about Francis Drake

Discover how historical art and illustration bring the short story Retribution—a 16th-century sea raid with Francis Drake—to life.

Opening Scene of the Historical Fiction Short Story Retribution

Read the first scene of the historical fiction short story Retribution for free

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