Bio

My name is Paul Barral, and this is my story. You know how kids are when they decide on what they want to be when they grow up. Most want to be a policeman or fireman. Some want to be an astronaut. Others grow up to be amazing athletes or leaders of some sort. My story is, I wasn't any of those kids. I was the little boy that just doodled his way through most of school day, trying to escape reality and bullies at school. Overtime, those doodles turned into something more, something tangible. Then came a point where I decided I want to be an artist, an animation artist.

During my studies at Cal State University Fullerton, I experimented with different avenues of art. The one that appeals to me most is Animation. When people view my storyboards or my animations, I want them to feel like their realities are blurred; they are no longer watching from their couch or from their computers, but they are alongside the characters and the obstacles they currently face. My older brother once said that when it comes down to it, stories are what bring people together. You can take away all of the technology, mobile devices, even the internet! All you need to tell a story is people, communication, and a little bit of creativity. At the end of the day,  a good story with great characters is what matters most to me because that is what I will always remember when all is said and done.

                         

As I have mentioned, I love stories. Storyboarding is my main focus with character design and illustration following closely behind it. During my senior year at CSUF, I focused on mastering storyboarding, and was given a great opportunity to present my boards "The Data Drive" to DreamWorks for their DreamCrits college program for Fall 2014. It was a blessing that I am truly grateful for, and I take every bit of advice to heart. Since then, I have taken what I have learned and applied it to my personal projects and grow more each panel.

Since graduating from CSUF, I have experienced lots of good moments and challenging times in life. I worked as a freelance artist with Ivan Covin to create a short promo for the children's book Matt the Firehouse Brat. Ivan was one of the most friendly people I have ever worked with and it was an enjoyable experience. Currently I am working part-time at Olive Garden as a server and have been with a wonderful crew of people since March 2017.  Aside from that, I have been working on various character designs, concepts, as well as polishing a story for my web comic I would like to start soon. I can also say that I have been a vendor at Anime LA. While it was a fun time, I also learned how draining of a time it can be when you are an introvert like myself! Regardless, I had a fantastic time doing something new, meeting new people and making friends from different parts of the world.

Beyond what I do as an artist, I enjoy gaming and having movie nights with friends as well as tent-camping. I could talk a lot about video games all day, but camping is one of those things where I only get to experience once a year with family. From star gazing to smores at the campfire, and occasional encounters with bears, every year is a memorable trip. We have gone to places like Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon. No internet. No distractions. Nature only. Camping and good times.

So there you have it, a little about me! I hope you enjoy looking at the work I have up here and my social media pages. If you have an interest in me and what I do and how I could maybe help you flesh out your stories visually, feel free to contact me! Until then, you have a blessed day and blessed times to come!