The invitation to be an official member of the Brotherhood was turned down by Paton although he painted in the Pre-Raphaelite style and became a painter of historical, fairy, allegorical and religious subjects. Together with Daniel Maclise, Paton was a folklore expert; according to Christopher Wood, an expert in Victorian art, Maclise and Paton were the only artists working in the genre of fairy paintings with expertise in folklore. Paton's knowledge of Celtic legends and Scottish folklore is reflected in his paintings. During his short spell in London, Paton became acquainted with Samuel Carter Hall, editor of The Art Journal, and he commissioned Paton to design some of the illustrations for his 1842 book "The Book of British Ballads". Other commissions to design book illustrations included the 1844 edition of Shelley's lyrical drama "Prometheus Unbound", an 1845 publication of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and an 1863 version of Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner".