Born in Athens, Alabama, to William Henry and Jane Palmyra Sykes (nee Hayes),[1] Sykes attended the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia, graduating in 1904.

He then worked for the Nashville Banner in Tennessee until 1911 before joining the Public Ledger later that same year.

He also designed insignia for several army units, and received a National Headliner Award in 1941.

[4] Sykes's early work was distinguished by usage of coquille board for shading.

His perspectives were unique, his anatomy precise, and his shading almost theatrical.