I love simple tools that reveal surprising motion, and a three-card flipbook is one of my favourite pocket-sized experiments. It’s small, fast to make, and brilliantly instructive for beginners learning about timing, keyframes and how slight changes convey weight and personality. In this tutorial...
Read more...
Tutorials
I’m obsessed with tiny, believable worlds — and one small trick I return to...
Tutorials
Running a quick, joyful paper automaton workshop for kids aged 8–12 is one of...
DIY Projects
I love a small, secret moment in the mail — something that looks ordinary...
DIY Projects
I love adding little moments of surprise to my tabletop scenes, and one of my...
I like to keep a small maker’s kit with me almost all the time — tucked into a coat pocket, a camera bag, or the little pouch of my tote. It’s not a full studio (thankfully), but it’s enough to fix a torn postcard, rig a tiny prop for a...
I love the little illusion of glass in scaled-down worlds: a tiny bottle that looks like it could hold a drop of moonlight, a window in a paper house that catches the sun, or a miniature globe with a glossy, convincing surface. Over the years I’ve...
I love small projects that teach a technique and a mindset at the same time. A homemade thaumatrope is one of those perfect, tiny bridges between drawing, simple mechanics and the kind of patient repetition that builds confidence. Below I’ll walk...
I love small mechanical surprises — those tiny moments when something ordinary folds, flips or peels away to reveal a little secret. This hidden-hinge technique using a soda can tab and scrapbook paper is one of my favourite low-tech tricks for...
I stage tiny scenes — paper dioramas, miniature puppets, and small-scale sculptures — so the quality of light matters more than you might expect. Even a cheap keychain LED can be transformed into a soft, even wash that makes paint read...
I remember the first time I introduced paper mechanics to a roomful of people ranging from six to sixty. There was a hum of concentration, a flurry of scissors, and — thank goodness — a handful of moments where everyone stopped, looked up and...
I love the small discoveries that happen when you stop to look closely: a brushstroke that becomes a character, a tucked-away tool that solves a problem. Buying a padel racket can feel a little like that—an invitation to experiment, to try shapes,...
I love finding small ways to turn ordinary objects into pockets of surprise. One of my favourite quick transformations is turning a cheap secondhand paperback into a hidden-compartment prop — perfect for pocket-sized theatre, street magic bits, or...
I love tiny scenes that feel larger than life — a single glowing window on a miniature house can turn a shelf into a story. Over the years I've learned that the secret to making a tabletop lightbox feel cinematic isn't an expensive studio kit, but...
I first got hooked on anamorphic illusions when I saw a tiny warped drawing sit up straight only when viewed from a particular angle. There’s something quietly magical about a flattened image that resolves into readable text or a face when you...