3DTotal: You have a rich portfolio of work behind you but how did you get started in this industry and where does your passion for animation and character design stem from?
Patrick: When I was little, I was always drawing. I loved creating characters and reproducing images. While other boys were out playing hockey, I was drawing. A few years later I stopped drawing and I started studying in another field, I therefore left my passion 		 
    for drawing aside to find a more standard job. After studying a field that was not for me at all I decided to let it go and return to my passion, the arts. I then jumped at the opportunity to learn 3D and discover the world of computers, which was totally unknown to me at that time. I started using 3D in 1999 at the Athena College in Quebec City Canada. It was a basic course on 3D using 3D Studio Max. During my course I discovered my passion for design, after a few after school presentations; I did my first design character “freaky bird”. This character was my trigger; he was the first in a series of crackpot characters that I was starting to create. After that I continued to create new designs and my own style of characters. I have always liked drawing cartoons and I’ve been a big fan of Disney from a very young age. To be able to create a character that is attractive and looks alive by its expressions, forms, lines, contrasts and details in 3D has always been what I find most satisfying followed closely by animation. Even though I didn’t have an animation demo I found myself in an animation job. Strange isn’t it? I then learnt all about animation in the field. I fell head over heels in love with this profession as it perfectly links with my design passion.
3DTotal: Can you tell us a little about your new book and the premise behind it?
Patrick: Animation Insiders is a project that I’ve been cherishing for many years that started 2 years ago. Everything started when I was at an animation conference in Siggraph 2 years ago. I attended a master class with Dave Burgess, Andréas Déjà and many other extremely talented animators. This class was the trigger for me and it opened my eyes to animation. I learned a lot from the experiences of these animators such as approach, method, and the way they see animation etc…. When I got back to my hotel room I was still full of adrenaline! My experience had been really superb and I didn’t want to lose the flame that was burning inside me. I found it marvelous to obtain the advice from different animators on different subjects, and to learn from these animator’s experiences. I decided to create a book to let the people who are passionate about animation also learn and my hope is that they get the same triggers as I did. From these events Animation Insiders was born.
   
 
I put myself to work on contacting the animators I admired the most, and little
by little other animators accepted and agreed to share their knowledge with the aim to encourage the animation community to grow. Here is the list of the participants in Animation Insiders :
    
 
   
     
 
   
     
 
Animation Insiders will b0e available on the April 29th 2010 at www.sstudiopress.com. The book
has 112 illustrated pages with thirteen animators talking about their workflow, their experiences
and even themselves. This book is absolutely marvelous and diversified. Each section of text is
different in its approaches and values. This project has changed the way I see animation and has changed my life also. I want to thank everyone who participated and shared their passion and
created this magnificent book.
  
     
 
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