He was born in Hanley, Staffordshire, where his father, William Palin, worked in the potteries. W. M. Palin worked for five years himself with Wedgwood and Son before attending the Royal College of Art in London. He also studied in Italy, and Paris, with Boulanger and Lefebvre. He was one of a number of artists advised by Anthony Ludovici in The New Age for April 10, 1913 (Vol. 12, No. 23, p. 563) to stop painting. He exhibited widely, especially with the Royal Society of British Artists. There is no indication that he took Ludovici's advice.