Dow was born in Fifeshire, and studied at Carolus-Duran, Paris. On his return to Scotland he became associated with the Glasgow school of painters. During the early 1880s he spent many summers at Grez sur Loing in France with the colony of British and American painters congregated there. In 1884 he travelled to America to paint with his friend A H Thayer, after which he settled back in Glasgow, exhibiting often and widely.  Whilst in Scotland he became the second husband of Florence Ellen (formerly Pilcher).

He visited St Ives with his family in 1889 and moved there six years later, having bought the lease to Talland House from Leslie Stephen in 1895. After visiting St Ives, he exhibited with the St Ives Artists in the Dowdeswell show of 1890, with the title On the Sands at Lelant, Cornwall.   He was a Glanville letter signatory (Nov 1898), and became a member of the NEAC.