About My Animation
Animation is where my heart truly comes alive — a place where movement, story and emotion come together to create something magical.
I specialise in 2D animation with a focus on hand-drawn style. My process is hands-on and expressive: I use Photoshopto design backgrounds, props and characters, then bring everything to life in Toon Boom Harmony. I love the tactile feeling of drawing and the freedom it gives me to shape worlds from imagination.
Many of my animations have been created with little or no budget, driven purely by passion and creativity. I believe animation doesn’t need expensive resources — it needs heart, curiosity and a willingness to experiment.
Though I work professionally, animation is also one of my favourite hobbies. I’m continually learning, exploring new techniques, and refining my craft. I attend film festivals where I can see fresh work, meet other animators and keep my inspiration alive.
My Style & Influences
I’m deeply influenced by the emotional and visual richness of Japanese animation, especially films like:
Akira
Spirited Away
The Red Turtle
Watership Down
These works have inspired me to create animation that carries feeling, character, meaning and visual poetry.
Tools & Techniques
Here’s how I bring my animations to life:
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Photoshop — for backgrounds, props and character design
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Toon Boom Harmony — for animation development and movement
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Hand-drawing techniques — to keep work expressive and personal
I enjoy blending traditional drawing skills with digital workflows, allowing each piece to carry a handmade quality even when completed on screen.
Commissions, Mentoring & Consultancy
Over the years I have also:
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Completed commissioned animation projects
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Worked as an animation mentor and consultant, helping others develop their skills and find their creative voice
Whether it’s a personal piece, a community project or professional work, I bring care, creativity and passion to every animation I create.
Why I Animate
For me, animation is more than movement — it’s storytelling in motion. It’s a way to express identity, imagination and connection. I create from the heart, always aiming to tell stories that move, inspire and stay with you.
The Tales of Victor: The Misfits Creator was my longest and most ambitious animation project to date. Created entirely by myself over the course of a year and with no budget, the film was a true labour of love.
I designed all backgrounds, foregrounds and characters in Photoshop, before developing and animating the characters in Toon Boom Harmony. The animation makes strong use of layered environments and dynamic camera movement, helping to create depth, atmosphere and visual storytelling throughout the film.
I thoroughly enjoyed the creative process and the challenge of developing new technical skills. While demanding, the project was both rewarding and fun, pushing my animation practice forward and strengthening my confidence as an independent 2D animator.
The animation was screened in 2025 at Fuse Theatre’s The Night in Signs at the Alphabet Theatre.
In 2026, The Tales of Victor: The Misfits Creator was officially selected and nominated at several international festivals, including:
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Deaf Festival Texas (Nominee)
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Deaffest (Nominee)
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Together! Disability Film Festival (Nominee)
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Seattle Deaf Film Festival (Nominee)
The film was also:
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Finalist – Pageant Film Festival
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Semi-Finalist – Austin International Art Festival
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Animation for Theatre
This animation served as a backdrop for 'The Gingerbread Witch' theatre show, where it was projected onto a white screen using a projector. The performance took place at Newcastle Live Theatre, Art Center Washington, and Queen Hall Hexham in 2023
Kim Mcdemottroe's Field Journal.
Working with Kim early this year as her mentor has been a real privilege. Kim is an incredible artist who has an extraordinary ability for developing fantastic and unique characters born from unusual places. For this project, Kim wanted to go one step further and bring her illustrations to life through stop motion animation - which she has never done before. Together, we really worked from scratch, learning the basics of getting started and the techniques involved in really bringing her characters personality alive. Kim worked hard developing materials and textures that could be used in keeping her model mobile, so that it can be used time and time again. Kim has since gone on to exhibit her work in her own exhibition. You can find out more about the project here.
Kim: “Paul’s input was super important to the project, he was a patient mentor and very knowledgeable about animation. I am grateful he worked alongside me to shape such a personal project.”
Photography by Kev Howard
New Signs for Animation With Jonathan Mortimer
I was commissioned as a consultant by Jonathan Mortimer for the project ‘New Signs for Animation - BSL’. For this, I was asked to closely examined the illustrations checking they were accessible to deaf people. For example, whilst looking through the storyboards, I spotted that the girl did not look deaf. I mentioned this, and suggested if the girl wore hearing aids she would become easily identifiable as a deaf person. The girl also needed stronger facial expressions when looking confused, and with a bit of support this really improved. Finally, I did a short one second animation to be included in the video; where a hand reaches out for a book and lifts it off the shelf. Overall it was a good project and I enjoyed it.
Award Winning Animation Short Film 2019
Other Animation Short
Live action film: Rebecca’s Wishing Stars
First successful live action short film for deaf and hearing children, funded by BSLBT. Follow the link now to watch the film. ‘Rebecca’s Wish Stars’ showing on BSLBT website.
Filmography
The Tales of Victor: The Misfits Creator Animation 2025 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited)
John Smith Deaf 07 comedy Animation 2022 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited)
Solir The Alien 2022 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited, Produced)
The Pumpkin King 2020 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited, Produced)
John Smith Deaf 07 comedy Animation 2019 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited)
The Gingerbread Witch 2019 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited, Produced)
Nervith the Dragon 2017 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited, Produced)
John Smith comedy Animation 2015 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited)
Rebecca’s Wishing Stars 2015 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited)
Oka 2015 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited, Produced)
Boris Bolt 2013 (Written, Directed, Animated, Illustrated, Edited, Produced)
Rory Gets Fit 2011 (Written, Directed, Animated, Edited, Produced)
Hansel and Gretel 2011 (Directed, Animated, Edited)
The Lad of the Rings 2010 (Directed, Animated, Edited)
Humpty Dumpty 2009 (Directed Animated)
Rory’s Teeth 2007 (Written, Directed, Animated)