Born in Kota on November 9, 1945, Shail studied at Udaipur University and did his diploma from Jaipur School of Art. He also went on a study tour to London for a few months, sponsored by the British Council. 

A painter, printmaker and a teacher, Shail Choyal is known for a distinctive miniature style of his own through which he has carved a niche for himself in the contemporary art scene in the country. He infuses his works in the narrative idiom and also juxtaposes the allegorical with the real. Exploiting the inherent aesthetic motifs and the multi tier division of space of Rajasthani traditional painting, he has evolved a nostalgic art with an utmost modern sensibility. Vibrant colors and surreal settings add mystery to his paintings.

Shail has received many awards for his works: Gold Medal in Master’s Degree (1969); Rajasthan Lalit Kala Akademi award for printmaking (1969); Bombay art society award for painting (1971); Rajasthan Lalit Kala Akademi for painting (1972); National award by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (1982); “KALAVID” award in 2023 from Rajasthan Lalit Kala Akademi, and many more.

He used to teach in the Department of painting at Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, Udaipur. He was also the Vice Chairman of Rajasthan Lalit Kala Akademi.