Born in 1929, the son of a career Air Force Officer, Keith Ferris grew up with military aviation. He attended Texas A&M (Aeronautical Engineering), George Washington University and Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. Beginning his art career as a civilian in Air Force Publications in 1947, Mr. Ferris became a freelance artist in the New York area in 1956 and a member of the Society of Illustrators in 1960.