Lincoln was born into a large working-class family in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1941. Showing talent as a young boy he attended Saturday morning art classes, which apart from some occasional attendance at life-drawing classes is the only formal art education Lincoln received.

After leaving school at fifteen he worked in various jobs with display departments and advertising studios both in Hobart and Melbourne and later as a boilermaker/welder and picture framer. A member of the Social Realist group in Melbourne, Lincoln exhibited prints and drawings of factory workers in annual shows in the late 1960s.

His first solo exhibition was at Toorak Galleries in 1975 and he now exhibits regularly in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. Also an accomplished printmaker, his etchings and lithographs are shown at the Australian Print Workshop in Melbourne.

Amongst other things he paints self-portraits, which are haunting. His work is represented in state and regional gallery collections including the National Gallery of Australia.