Leslie Leonard is from Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from high school in 1999, Leslie attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. A highlight of her undergraduate education was a summer semester spent in Cortona, Italy, studying photography, drawing, and painting.

It was also at the University of Georgia that Leslie was introduced to the field of medical and biological illustration, and where she would eventually earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Independent Studies—Scientific Illustration in May of 2003. As part of her requirements for graduation, she completed an undergraduate thesis, working with two professors at the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases at the University of Georgia to create animations detailing aspects of their research.

In 2004, Leslie moved to Baltimore to further her studies in Medical and Biological Illustration. After completing a two year program, she received her Master of the Arts from Johns Hopkins University in May of 2005.