The son of a doctor, Voormann was born on 29 April 1938 in north Berlin, Germany. He studied classical piano between the ages of 8 and 15, but his parents decided he should study commercial art at Berlin's Meisterschule für Grafik und Buchgewerbe. He later moved to Hamburg to study at the Meisterschule für Gestaltung, but started work as a commercial artist, graphic designer, and illustrator before completing his studies