After reading English Literature at Cambridge, Trevelyan moved to Paris, where he enrolled at Atelier Dix-Sept, learning etching alongside Miro and Picasso. In 1935, he purchased Durham Wharf in Hammersmith, which would become his home and studio for the remainder of his life, and a source of artistic inspiration. He taught at the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art, influencing many younger printmakers, including David Hockney and Norman Ackroyd.