Bernard Blatch studied at Wimbledon School of Art (1945–50) and did his National Service in the RAF (1950–52), after which he started his career as an illustrator at Carlton Artists Studio, London, until 1955. He then moved to the BBC Television graphic design deparment, leaving in 1959 when he became a freelance illustrator and began teaching at Twickenham College, Middlesex until 1970. Blatch then moved to teach at Kingston Polytechnic (1970–78) and Leicester Polytechnic (1970–73). In 1978 he moved to Oslo, Norway, and worked as an illustrator at Ted Bates Advertising Agency for a year, before going freelance again, along with teaching at the Oslo College of Art and Design until 2003. He was given the Duke of Edinburgh Design Centre Award in 1960 and received Norwegian ADC awards for illustration, every year from 1981 to 1990, including the gold in 1985, and the silver for best book cover at the Norwegian Book Design awards, 1989.