Walter McDonough was born in Iowa City, Iowa. He is a first-year graduate student at the University of Iowa, pursuing an MFA in 3D Design. He began his higher education at the University of Iowa majoring in engineering but soon transferred to the School of Art and Art History where he developed a love for drafting and model-making in Professor Vakhtangi Darjania's class. He graduated with a BFA in 3D Design in the fall semester of 2023. Drawing inspiration from his sketchbook doodles, his work often uses the overlapping of surfaces and lines.