David Shepherd refers to his early life as 'a series of disasters'. While a boy at school it was his ambition to become a game warden in East Africa. When he left Stowe School, he went to Kenya in 1950 'with the arrogant assumption that I was God's gift to the Kenya National Parks'. He was not appointed and came home again with his 'world in ruins'. He then decided that he would somehow pursue his only other interest: art. He applied to the Slade School of Art but was turned down as 'not worth teaching'. By good fortune he met the marine artist Robin Goodwin, who took him on as a full-time student from 1950 to 1953. David attributes all his success to Goodwin.

Probably the UK’s best-known living wildlife artist, Shepherd began by painting aviation and train subjects, before a commission by the RAF to paint in Aden and then Nairobi introduced him to the great African landscape and wildlife. Whilst in Kenya, David witnessed the terrible spectacle of 255 zebra carcasses, poisoned by poachers. This sight turned David into a passionate conservationist, a cause which he has dedicated much of his career and earnings to supporting. Since then he has raised over £3 million for conservation, becoming one of the most successful people to use art to raise funds for conservation. Amongst his many awards are the Order of the British Empire and the Order of the Golden Ark presented by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. In spite of his international reputation for wildlife paintings, particularly of elephants, he has never completely given up painting scenes from aviation history or steam railways which are his other main interest. In addition, he has found time to paint portraits of, among others, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and His Excellency Dr Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia.