He was born in Washington D.C. but he grew up in New Jersey and San Diego. Since he was a little boy he's loved drawing and painting. His uncle and his high school art teacher taught him important artistic principles and techniques, including how to paint with oils. With that said, because of his talent, he earned a partial scholarship to the prestigious Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.

He initially enrolled at Pratt as an architecture major because he had heard how hard it was to make ends meet as an artist. During his freshman year he took a leap of faith and changed his major to illustration. Within weeks of graduation, Kadir Nelson began earning an income through art.