Born in Rotherhithe, Surrey, in 1864, Arthur Twidle was the son of Alfred Twidle (a journeyman cooper and his wife Rachel (née Smith), who had married in 1855.
In 1881, following the death of his mother, Twidle was living with an uncle and his occupation was described as draughtsman in wood.
In 1885, Twidle married Annie Elizabeth Mason at St. Olave, Southwark.
On the death of Sidney Paget, who had illustrated Conan Dolyle's Sherlock Holmes stories in The Strand magazine, Twidle became one of Doyle's regular artists.
Towards the end of his life Arthur moved to 6 Ivy Mill Lane, Godstone Surrey.