Lee Brown Coye, born in Syracuse, New York, is best known as an illustrator and painter. As a young man, he attended one semester of night art classes, but his artistic knowledge and abilities were essentially self-taught through his work and from studies of nature. His knowledge of body parts developed from studies of anatomy and work as a medical illustrator. He spent time attending operations and autopsies, thus becoming extremely familiar with the human form.

As a young man he lived in Tully, New York, and as an adult spent his entire life in the Central New York area. He and his wife, Ruth, lived in Syracuse for many years where Coye's activities included teaching adult art classes; working under the Works Progress Administratio...