Gibson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on October 16, 1904. He was the son of a tailor’s cutter. As a youth, he took classes at the Edinburgh College of Art and the Glasgow School of art, but he gained most of his art training from painting theatrical backdrops under W. E. Glover, a noted scenic painter with the Royal Theater in Glasgow.

In 1930, Gibson came to the United States, first to New York, then on to Hollywood to work in the movie industry. In Los Angeles, he took classes at Chouinard School of Art, under Frank Tolles Chamberlain (1873-1961) and worked as a freelance scene painter. He quickly earned respect for his work in miniatures, special effects, matte painting and simulations of streets and buildings. His first film for a major studio was “Cavalcade” for 20th Century Fox, in 1933.

By 1934, he was working on a regular basis for Cedric Gibbons (1893-1960) at Metro Goldwyn Mayer, which put him on contract in 1939. He became the head of the scenic art department and continued with MGM until his retirement in 1969. He worked on hundreds of movies at MGM, including "The Wizard of Oz"; "An American in Paris"; "Lust for Life" and "The Shoes of the Fisherman", for which he re-created Michelangelo's frescoes of the Sistine Chapel.

After service in World War II, Gibson began to participate in various art exhibitions. In 1946, Emil Kosa Jr. (1903-1968), a fine artist who also worked as an art director in the movie studios, urged Gibson to join the California Water Color Society and the American Watercolor Society. In 1957, he was elected an Associate of the National Academy of Design, and in 1994, he was elevated to full Member of the National Academy.

George Gibson died on March 28, 2001, in San Luis Obispo, California.