Premysl Martinec was born in a small village near Prague where his father was a butcher. He studied at a glass school and later Czech literature at the university. He worked as a nursing assistant in a hospital in the 1980s, a job he had to leave following psychotic episodes. In the mid-1990s, he collaborated with the Czech Surrealist group. Since the 1980s, he has produced drawings in his journal, using pencil or felt-tip pen.

These small drawings reflect his obsession with grotesque or terrifying scenes, some depicting semi-human beings ("larvae"). They appear in series; there are always at least twelve on the same page of his notebook, undated and unsigned. Sometimes, these sketches serve as models for ink or watercolor compositions. Reminiscences of his work as a nurse can sometimes be seen in them.