Zobel was born on August 27, 1924, in Manila to a family firmly established in the business world. His citizenship was Spanish, and he was educated in America. But his youthful memories were shaped mostly by the Philippine landscape. During the Second World War, in 1942, a spinal deficiency forced him to spend most of the year in bed. His condition was somewhat ironic because the year before, he had embarked on his medical studies at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Bedridden, the 18-year old Fernando sketched. He drew scenes observed through the window, caricatures of his family, and things of his own fancy.