Although Vytautas enjoyed drawing from his childhood, he did not think himself talented enough for the fine arts and decided to study architecture. However, a young artist, Jonas Vilutis, after seeing his drawings encouraged him to study art and helped him to prepare successfully for the Vilnius Academy of Art entrance exams. Vytautas began his art studies in 1941. His drawing teachers were Antanas Gudaitis and Liudas Vilimas, and his painting teacher was Justinas Vienožinskis. When the Academy was closed in 1943 by the German occupation forces, Vytautas attended clandestine art studies organized by Adolfas Valeška at the Vilnius Museum of Art, where Adolfas Valeška taught painting, Juozas Mikėnas - drawing, Mikalojus Vorobjovas - art history, Levas Karsavinas - cultural history, and Petras Juodelis - art history of Vilnius.

In the summer of 1944 Vytautas moved west. After the end of World War II, he spend some time at a refugee camp in Hanau, Germany. In 1946 Vytautas entered a school of fine and applied arts, Ecole des Arts et Metiers, in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, where he continued his studies of painting under Viktoras Vizgirda and Adolfas Valeška and drawing under Vytautas K. Jonynas and Vytautas Kasiulis, earning a Master's Degree in fine arts in 1948. Not stopping there, he then studied graphic art techniques under Telesforas Valius.

In 1950 Vytautas Ignas emigrated to the United States and moved to Chicago. While working at various jobs during the day, Vytautas learned stained glass techniques from Albinas Elskus in the evenings. In 1952 he relocated to Cleveland, where he worked at stained glass studios. In 1958 he became a citizen of United States and shortened his name to Ignas. In 1959 he married Birutė Dargytė-Daukantienė.

In 1962 the Ignas family moved to New York, where Vytautas became a designer at the Jonynas & Shepherd Art Studio. He joined the New York Lithuanian Artists' Association and became a member of The Print Club of Philadelphia. Later, he created stained glass window designs for the Duco Studio. In 1970 he began a two-year term teaching book art, design and graphic art at the Catan-Rose Institute of Art on Long Island.

In 1972 Vytautas changed his life: he abandoned the noise of the big city and moved his family to a quiet, forested parcel of land in Ashford, Connecticut, where they built their present home. They equipped the home with a bright and spacious studio and Vytautas found himself in a nearly ideal setting for creating his works of art. To earn a living he took a job that left his mind free to create - driving a delivery truck, and, except for some time off to enjoy his favorite hobby of fishing, devoted his free time to painting and engraving. Ten years later in 1982, Vytautas Ignas received the Lithuanian-American Community Culture Council's annual Prize for Art. In 1985 he retired from his job and devoted himself completely to art and fishing. In 1989 he became an honor member in the Union of Lithuanian Artists.

Vytautas Ignas credits Lithuanian folk art as the major influence in his art. He also sought to expand his knowledge of folk art from other parts of the globe by searching for it in museums and libraries.

References
(a) A. Kezys, Lithuanian Artists in North America, Galerija, Stickney, Illinois, 1994, (b) Giedra Urmanaitė (editor), Vytautas Ignas, Lietuvos Dailės Muziejus, Vilnius, 2001.