William Bouton was born in 1950 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He began playing the violin at age four and with seven began drawing and painting. He won first prize at age eleven in the Contra Costa County Library Poster Competition. He recieved his first art scholarship at the age of fifteen and from this period come his first oil paintings, which were exhibited in the Pleasant Hill City Hall in California.

     In 1969 he entered California State University, San Francisco, as a double major; painting and music/composition, and recieved his Bachelors Degree in 1973. He became known through various showings and recieved his first commissions. In 1975 he recieved a further scholarship from the University of Cincinnati where he earned his Masters Diploma. Here he studied with the award winning painter William Malczan. A travelling fellowship allowed Bouton to further his studies for a post graduate degree from the University of Londen.

     In 1980 Bouton moved to Aarhus, Denmark where he recieved the commission for the concert season poster with eleven composers portraits for the Aarhaus Symphony Orchestra. Since 1981 Bouton has lived in Munich where he holds the position of first concertmaster of the Munich Symphony Orchestra.

     As a painter he is internationally recognized and commissions go to America, Austria, England, France and Italy.