Allan was born in 1984 in Edinburgh and from a very young age was always drawing. He grew up in Portobello, overlooking the sea, and from an early age was drawing ships, planes and all kinds of other machines.

Drawing eventually gave way to painting, but never thought seriously about art as anything beyond something to do for enjoyment. As a result, he did not attend art college and has never received any formal art training.

After attempting several careers in archaeology, offices and the NHS, he realised that the one true constant in his life was art and that what he really wanted to do was paint. His interest is in painting naturalistically and faithfully rendering a subject, often in great detail.

He works exclusively in oils and in addition to an early love of ships and planes, he also paints portraits and urban landscapes.