Lee J. Ames

Lee Judah Ames (January 8, 1921 – June 3, 2011) was an American artist noted for his ''Draw 50...'' learn-to-draw books.

He was born in Manhattan, New York. His first job at age eighteen was at Walt Disney Studios. His career spanned working as an advertising artist, fine artist, cartoonist, designer, animation in-betweener, illustrator, and as an artist-in residence at Doubleday. His series of 26 ''Draw 50...'' books take a friendly and minimalist approach to teaching drawing while the books often contain no instructional text.

He enlisted in the military and served as a second lieutenant during World War II. He was a recipient of the Inkpot Award.

He was a founding member of the Berndt Toast Gang, the Long Island Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society.

This is Lee's reminiscence of how the Berndt Toast Gang got its name: "When Creig Flessel, Bill Lignante, Frank Springer, Al Micale, and I got together to work for Hanna Barbera in the 1960s, we decided to have a lunch at Finnegan’s Bar the last Thursday of every month. During that period, Creig brought Walter Berndt to join us. We fell in love with the cigar-smoking old-timer (look who's talking!), as he did with us. After a couple of years he passed away and left us grieving. Thereafter, whenever we convened on Thursdays, we'd raise a toast to Walter’s memory. On one such, my big mouth opened and uttered, “Fellas, it’s time for the Berndt toast!” I wasn’t trying to be cute at the time, but I’m not displeased that it stuck and we became the Berndt Toast Gang, one of the largest branches of the National Cartoonists Society."

He and his wife Jocelyn resided for many years in Mission Viejo, California before returning to Long Island, NY. Provided by Wikipedia