Paul Hess was born in Sydney in 1961. He went to art college in Sydney and then worked as a graphic designer and Art Director for various companies both in Sydney and London from 1981 to 1991. Since then he has worked as a freelance art director and illustrator, and latterly as a website designer.
His first pictures books were four animal word books published by De Agostini in 1996. Since then he's worked for many different publishers and has produced roughly one book a year. At the same time he has fitted in advertising work, a range of sporting prints and a host of adult and children's book covers where his idiosyncratic style is invaluable for the humorous novel, for popular children's books and for anything out of the ordinary.
He remembers Hans Christian Andersen’s tales, illustrated by Jiri Trnka, as the most memorable book of his childhood. One of his favourite memories is of sandy, sunburnt picnics when he was young. When he moved to the UK he first settled in London and then moved to the West Country. He now lives in Newcastle Gateshead, with his two children where they have sandy picnics of their own.