Award-winning illustrator Tim Tomkinson was born in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, but moved to the Gulf Coast of Florida before starting to retain memories. At 14, he was uprooted to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he spent his "formative years" hiking, climbing, and snowboarding in the mountains. In 1999, Tim enrolled in New York City's Parsons School of Design to study illustration. Shortly before graduating, he joined the team at Friend and Johnson, as a professional illustrator.