Lee J. Ames

Lee J. Ames (Lee Judah Ames; Manhattan, New York, 1921 – 2011) was an American artist best known for the «Draw 50» series of learn-to-draw books, which taught drawing to generations of readers. Born in Manhattan, he took his first job at the age of eighteen at Walt Disney Studios. His career spanned advertising, fine art, cartooning, design, animation in-betweening, illustration, and a period as artist-in-residence at Doubleday.

The series of twenty-six Draw 50 books takes a friendly, minimalist approach: many volumes contain little or no instructional text and rely almost entirely on step-by-step drawings. Beyond these books, Ames illustrated many children's and educational works by other authors, including titles on science, animals and transportation. During the Second World War he served in the military as a second lieutenant. He received the Inkpot Award and was a founding member of the Berndt Toast Gang, the Long Island chapter of the National Cartoonists Society.

He and his wife Jocelyn lived for many years in Mission Viejo, California, before returning to Long Island. His legacy lies mainly in teaching drawing through a simple and accessible method.