Born in Dartford, Kent in 1932, studied at the Royal College of Art where he obtained a First Class Diploma. Taught at St. Martin's School of Art and later at the Royal College. In 1961 he featured in Ken Russell's BBC film, Pop Goes the Easel. He has been acclaimed as one of the founders of British Pop Art and draws from British traditions and subject matter, yet his art is highly individual.

He has produced many biographical and descriptive works of people in their natural environments, including his exotic series of circus or fairground figures. A strong thread of fantasy runs throughout his work. The pictures which are more easily defined as 'pop' works, are often devoted to real films or music personalities, such as The Beatles. He uses pop ephemera for these, employing collage. In his portraits, characters are built up using elements of dress, style, name and lettering. He joined the Brotherhood of Ruralists in 1975 and his art became more concerned with the themes of childhood and fairytale. He has a passion for telling a story, an obsession with detail and a fascination for the Victorian image, as in the Alice in Wonderland series.

Like Warhol and other Pop artists, Blake uses ready-made images, such as photographs or printed material, producing a recognisable pop art 'look'. However, his art is quite personal and reflects back to the traditions of fine art and illustration. He has a naturalistic style; his portraits are quite fleshy, three-dimensional and at times have an 'aged' look which he achieves from using different techniques. His images are quite unlike the processed images of the American pop artists.