[2] He displayed an early determination to become an artist, winning an Andrew Grant Scholarship to attend the Edinburgh College of Art between 1939 and 1947, but his studies were interrupted by the Second World War.
[3] [citation needed] Following his service he returned to live with his parents[1] and his studies at Edinburgh College of Art completing his Diploma in 1948 and his postgraduate degree in 1949.
The "painterly" yet thinly applied textures of Cumming's early work contrasts with the heavy impasto and rich colour themes of his contemporaries in the Edinburgh School.
[9] The work of Scottish artist Alan Davie, who has achieved an International reputation, and was a contemporary of Cumming, has given rise to many interesting comparisons.
This was succinctly put by the critic and artist Edward Gage in 1977: "Cumming's language is drawn logically from scientific research and procedure while Davie's is a haphazard and personal affair of ritual symbols and dances".
This latter period has its apotheosis in the painting 'Metaphase' (Acceleration) 1971, which demonstrates Cummings exceptional abilities in composition, draughtsmanship and his acute colour sensitivity.
[11] Cumming's paintings, spanning a 30-year period, were celebrated in 2012 in a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Talbot Rice Gallery in Edinburgh.