- Ernest Shepard was born in London on December 10, 1879, son of a architect. As a child Ernest had two big hobbies: watching the soldiers practice, and drawing. Ernest decided on a career as an artist in which his father encouraged him. After a special art school, Shepard entered the Royal Academy School in 1897 as one of it's youngest students, and earned two scholarships while there.www.just-pooh.com/shepard.html