Blackman, born in Sydney, left school at thirteen and worked as an illustrator with the Sydney Sun newspaper while attending night classes at East Sydney Technical College (1943-46). He came to notice following his move to Melbourne in the mid-1940s, where he gained the support of critic and art patron John Reed and became known for his 'Schoolgirl' and 'Alice' series. In 1959 he was a signatory to the Antipodean Manifesto, a statement protesting the dominance of abstract expressionism. He was part of this Antipodeans Group. His work is assocated with dreamlike images tinged with mystery and foreboding. In 1960-64 he travelled overseas after winning the Helena Rubenstein Scholarship, settling in Sydney on his return. He has won many prizes and distinctions, culminating in a major retrospective in 1993 and an OBE for services to Australian art in 1997.

A portrait of Charles Blackman by Jon Molvig won the Archibald Prize in 1966.

External links he was 15 when he left school