Blake was a painter, etcher and poster artist as well as creating industrial designs; he studied at Camberwell School of Art and Crafts, Goldsmiths and at the Brixton School of Building; he worked for the Ministry of Information, producing war propaganda from 1940 then went onto to work commercially including for the Daily Express and LNER; he was a member of the Chelsea Arts Club and the Wapping Group and was President of the London Sketch Club.