Born in Suffolk, William Wood entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1785, and exhibited his miniatures at the Academy from 1788-1807. After studying and imitating the fashionable miniatures painted by Richard Cosway, he enjoyed a successful and prolific career in London. His ledger book survives and lists the 1211 miniatures he painted from 1790-1807, averaging nearly sixty works a year. It also provides important information regarding his painting techniques, which included his willingness to change coiffures and military uniforms on request.