Sandby出生在诺丁汉，并于1731年受洗那里，虽然他的出生日期一直被表示为1725 1745年他移居伦敦。在那里，他跟着哥哥托马斯在军事上图中获得预约部门在伦敦塔。继镇压1745年詹姆斯党叛乱，Sandby被用来协助新道路的军事调查乔治堡和高地的北部和西部地区的，上校戴维·沃森的领导下。后来，他被任命为起草人调查。

同时承接该委员会，其中包括新的桥梁和防御工事准备的设计，他开始生产的水彩风景画记录在苏格兰的变化，因为叛乱，并使得苏格兰的事件草图，如挂在军人出身的伪造者约翰·扬的爱丁堡1751 

他离任的调查于1751年，并花了一些时间与他的兄弟，谁已被任命为副游侠生活温莎大公园。在那里，他帮助他的弟弟，并取得了一系列的城堡，镇，和它的邻居，这是由先生购买的图纸约瑟夫·班克斯。[3]他的技术是由资深艺术家，如叫好托马斯·庚斯博罗：在1764年，如果有人想“从自然在这个国家真正的意见”，宣布庚斯博罗，有没有更好的艺术家比Sandby，谁经常“employ'd他的铅笔了办法。”

他还蚀刻了大量板自己的图纸后，其（包括爱丁堡的意见，这是发表在一个体积1765年1760年的一百他发出十二铜版画伦敦的哭声，他还提出后，很多板块其他艺术家，包括他的兄弟。在1753-4，他出版，匿名，几个单讽漫画威廉·霍加斯，他回到了攻击在1762年，和整个职业生涯断断续续生产等工作的讽刺。

它不记录长Sandby如何生活与他的兄弟在温莎，但据说他花了每年在伦敦的一部分，他的大部分时间可能花在素描游览。在1757年5月3日，他结婚安妮Stogden和1760年，他在伦敦定居。

1760年，他以艺术家协会第一展作出了贡献。他与社会，直到皇家学院的基础上展出定期八年后，并且是它的第一个董事之一，当它在1765年成立在1768年，他被任命为首席绘画大师的皇家军事学院在伍尔维奇，位置他一直保留到1799年。同年组建皇家科学院他是由乔治三世提名的28创始人成员之一。他经常担任其理事会，并促成所有，但1769 1809之间举行的展览八个

Sandby做了广泛的旅程围绕英国和爱尔兰，素描风景和古迹。他做了他的第一次记录访问威尔士在1770年，后来（1773年）巡回威尔士南部与爵士约瑟夫·班克斯，导致1775年出版南威尔士十二意见，并于次年再12次，部分一个48板系列飞尘 雕刻描绘威尔士通过银行委托的风景。

他在他的帕丁顿房子7月1809去世，被安葬在墓地汉诺威广场圣乔治教堂。他在他的讣告为“水彩画现代山水画之父”的描述。

Sandby was born in Nottingham on 1731, and was baptized there, although his date of birth has been expressed as he moved to London in 1745 1725 [2]. [2] was there, he followed his brother Thomas in the military map to get an appointment department in Tower of London. Following the repression of the James rebellion in 1745, Sandby was used to assist the new road in the military investigation of Fort George and the highlands of the north and West, under the leadership of Colonel David Watson. Later, he was appointed as the drafter of investigation. 
The committee to undertake at the same time, including the design of bridges and fortifications for the new, he began production of watercolor landscape painting recorded the changes in Scotland, because of rebellion, and makes the Scotland incident sketches, such as hanging soldier forger John young Edinburgh 1751
He left the survey in 1751, and spent some time with his brother, who has been appointed Deputy ranger of Windsor Great Park life. There, he helped his brother, and made a series of castles, towns, and its neighbors, which was bought by Mr. Joseph Banks. his technique is composed of senior artists, such as Thomas Gensboro applauded: in 1764, if you want to "from nature in this country real opinion", announced Gainsborough, there is no better than the artist Sandby, who often employ'd his pencil way." 
He is also a large number of his drawings in etching after the (including the views of Edinburgh, which was published in one hundred a volume in 1765 1760 he issued twelve mezzotints London cries, he also put forward after many plates with other artists, including his brother. In [3] 1753-4, he published, anonymously, several single satirical comic William Hogarth, he returned to the attack in 1762, and the occupation career and production work of irony.
It does not record long Sandby to live with his brother in Windsor, but said he spent a year in a part of London, most of his time may take in the sketch tour. In May 3, 1757, he married Anne Stogden and in 1760, he settled in london.
In 1760, he made a contribution to the first exhibition of the artists association. He exhibited with the society, the Royal Academy on a regular basis until eight years later, and was one of the first directors of it, when it was established in 1768 in 1765, he was appointed chief master of painting the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, where he has been preserved until 1799.  formed the Royal Academy in the same year he was one of the 28 founding members nominated by George III. He often served as its Council and contributed to all but 17691809 exhibitions held between the eight 
Sandby made an extensive journey around the UK and Ireland, sketching landscapes and monuments.  he made his first visit to Welsh records in 1770, and later (1773) Southern tour Welsh and Sir Joseph Banks Welsh, published in 1775 twelve in South, and the following year in 12, part of a series of 48 [4] in the dust sculpture depicts Welsh commissioned by bank scenery.
He was in his house in July 1809 Paddington died, was buried in St Georges cemetery in Hannover square church.for his "watercolor landscape painting" the father described in his obituary.