Reginald Robert Tomlinson was born in Overton, Hampshire, England on 10 October 1885 and studied at Farnham School of Art in Farnham, Surrey; Stoke-on-Trent School of Art in Hanley, Staffordshire; and at the Royal College of Art in London. He also took lessons in etching from Frank Short. He subsequently worked as a painter, ceramic artist and etcher. He was Master of Life Drawing and Painting at Stoke-on-Trent School of Art from 1913 to 1919 when he was appointed Senior Assistant at Cheltenham School of Arts and Crafts. He subsequently served as Principal at the School for many years before becoming Principal of Central School of Arts and Crafts in London from 1935 to 1947. He was made a senior Government Art Inspector in 1951.

Tomlinson participated in the 9th exhibition of the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society at the New Gallery in London in 1910, and in the British Arts and Crafts Section of the Ghent International Exhibition in 1913. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy, Goupil Gallery, Cooling & Sons Gallery, Lefevre Gallery; New English Art Club; Royal Society of British Artists; Royal Society of Portrait Painters; and Royal Institute of Oil Painters in London; the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; and at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.

He was elected an Associate of the Royal Society of British Artists (ARBA) in 1926, and a full member of the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) in 1929. He was also elected a member of the Art Workers Guild in 1930 and was Master of the Guild in 1955. He was the author of Children as Artists (London: London : The King Penguin Books, 1947).

Tomlinson died on 6 November 1978. His death was registered in Chichester, West Sussex. His address at the time of his death was Chestnut Cottage, The Drive, Summersdale, Chichester, West Sussex.

_{Text source: Art History Research net (AHR net)}