Paul Binnie was born in 1967 in Alloa, Scotland. From the age of 12, he took extra classes with a local artist. During his studies at the University of Edinburgh since 1985, the young artist spent his summers in Paris and other regions of France, working to earn money or painting. It was during this time that he bought Japanese Ukiyo-e prints for the first time and his interest in them was established. He decided to learn about them more intensively. After graduating in MA of Fine Art at the Edinburgh University in 1990, he has lived in Paris until early 1993, working as a professional artist and a teacher of art at the 'Ecole du Louvre' and the 'Atelier Hourde'. During the time in Paris, his fascination with Japanese prints grew more and more intense and finally he moved to Japan in April 1993. .

Although his original plan had been to enter the studio of Toshi Yoshida (1911-1995), a son of Hiroshi Yoshida (1876- 1950), organizing a printmaking school for international students, Toshi was already too ill to take new students. In 1993, he was recommended to a modern woodblock printer Seki Kenji, knowledgeable in the art of carving woodblocks. Kenji taught Paul the correct techniques of both carving and printing for a year. In 1998, he returned to London to promote his prints and then he started making prints of his own after a gap two of years (in 2000). The time he spent in Japan was a turning point in his career as he decided to concentrate on making art in traditional Japanese woodblock technique rather than western style painting. This decision will mark the rest of his career. .

Blending traditional methods with a modern style, Paul is working mostly under the influence of Shin-hanga movement, founded by the publisher Shozaburo Watanabe (1885-1962). Shozaburo was aiming to renew declining Ukiyo-e tradition and break into foreign markets by commissioning new, young artists who would work within the old co-operated system, composed of the publisher, artist, engraver and printers. However, Paul makes his own prints from beginning to the end by himself, as was done by artists of another post-war movement: Sosaku hanga. .

He mostly works in several subjects such as Kabuki, tattoo, landscape and beauty prints. His original plan had been to stay in Japan less than he actually did but once he started to sell his Kabuki prints, he decided to expand his technique more and has created works of this subject until 1998 in Japan. His interest in Japanese tattoo was born when he saw Yakuza, members of the Japanese mafia who traditionally have body tattoos, bathing for the first time in a sento EJapanese-style public bath. He is still working on a series of woodblock prints of this theme. Near the end of 1997, he began to do Japanese landscape prints and these became a huge success. .

In his landscapes he was under particular influence of Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) and Hasui Kawase (1883-1957). As for his design of kabuki, he was inspired by Shunsen (1886-1960), Koka Yamamura (1885-1942) and Mori Yoshitoshi (1898-1992), whereas in tattoo prints he stresses the names of Shinsui Ito (1898-1972) and Kotondo Torii (1900-1976). .

Hiroshi Yoshida was also important for him in the respect that Hiroshi was a bridge between traditional and modern prints. Similar to him, through his own work, Paul aims to be a gateway for master pieces in Japanese woodcut hand print technique as well as to express his artistic ideas and personality and to arise new feelings in viewers. He is also a rare printmaker as he continues to deploy Japanese traditional woodcut and print techniques. When making a new design, he normally produces series of 110 to 150 prints in the span of 3 to 5 months. The first 5 impressions he usually discards, another 5 sheets he keeps for himself and the rest goes on sale. He sometimes produces different colour versions of the same prints, but never in the case of a commissioned work when he always discards the original woodblocks. .

In 2002, he created the first print of the 'Famous Views of Japan' and continues with this series up to date together with 'Collection of Eastern Brocade Beauties' 'Four Seasons', 'Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo' and other. At the same time he was commissioned his first print in the series of beauty portraits and started his new series 'Travels with the Master' with both 'Cloud Shadows, Grand Canyon' in March-April and 'Acropolis - Night' in May-June in 2007, travelling all over the world to visit and sketch views of landscapes by different masters, like Hiroshi. He also accomplished an achievement that he was mentioned in 'Japanese Woodblock Prints', Hotei Publishing, Amy Reigle Newland, 2005, in the actor genre even though he is a non-Japanese printmaker. .