Spotlight on Jean-Paul Germain
adsk Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 02:17PM Jean-Paul is a NYPD Police Officer with a passion for art. He is based in New York City and is an active member of the Autodesk SketchBook Pro group on Facebook.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
I remember as a small child watching my father paint vivid geometrical shapes and landscapes on canvas. According to my mother, I inherited his abilities... that at the age of 4, not only could I draw cartoon characters from TV commercials, I could color precisely within the lines of my coloring books!
By age 7 I was making my own comic books, but it wasn't until age 14 when I was introduced to my love of comic books (which I still, on occasion read today). The "Art of John Bryne" comic book was a big inspiration to me. It gave a style to learn from and changed the way I drew pictures.
What's awesome about being a cop is having the ability to help others in difficult situations, the camaraderie and support you share with your brothers and sisters in blue. Heaven forbid when in a jam and you key the radio, knowing that you have a team to back you up is the greatest feeling in the world.
The uniform is kinda cool too.
I think my creative side allows me to approach my job (people & situations) with a different perspective. For the most part I don't usually use art on the job, unless sketching out quick diagrams. But being an artist allows me to see and appreciate details... dynamic scenery, architecture, and people.
My art is an important part of my life... without it I would probably have to find a different way of unwinding. I have what can be considered a very stressful job. As a cop I have to remain calm when others are agitated, I have to be focused when others are confused, I have to be in and take control when others have lost theirs.
When I come home and I turn on one of my tablets, that's when I can relax and sketch away some of the problems of the day. It's very therapeutic.
Learn more about Jean-Paul at his website: www.mainsink.com
Reader Comments (16)
Very happy for you Jean-Paul and well deserved!
Very glad to call you my friend and really enjoy our usually lengthy phone calls around art, SketchBook and life!
Bravo JP. As a fellow artist, I share the same joy art brings to my everyday life. This is a wonderful and inspiring story. Don't stop, keep drawing!- Lun
Thank you so much Autodesk for recognizing such a talent. Jean-Paul or JP as I call him is a exceptional artist as well as a true instructor of Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. He has mentored many artists on Facebook with true experience and expertise.
I am truly proud to call him a friend even though we have never met. Thank you Autodesk! CONGRATS JP!
Very inspiring and great art!
Wow your style of art is amazing , great work !!
Yo! That's whats up!
I LOVE the fact you're a cop, I know you are seeing everything. And you know I love your art too. ^Up^
Yo Main' congrats! You've been doing this a long time, your art work is on point. Well deserve recognition my dude.
This is just an absolutely inspiring spotlight. Really impressive, Jean-Paul. Keep up the great work.
That is so awesome! Finally you have gotten some recognition for your talented work! keep it coming strong as ever!
Congrats to you and your awesome dedication for Sketchbook Pro and its awesome group.
Thank You very very much for all the love & support everyone. This is a dream come true for me. It is awesome for an artist to be recognized by his or her fellow peers & colleagues. Thank You Christopher Cheung for selecting me for this honor. Hopefully this will lead to bigger & better things. Again the most sincerest Thanks for this spotlight. Thanks to all my family, friends & Autodesk Sketchbook Pro Facebook Group peers who have encouraged me yo guys are truly awesome!
You are the greatest! I am the luckiest woman on this planet! I love you! I always told you that you put the "A" in Awesome!!! Keep soaring with the Eagles baby!!
Your Wife,
Lora
Congrats bro
Cool~!
AWESOMEEEEE....JPGGGG !!
J-P, I'm telling you, you're a god at what you do! Truly amazing and effortless; which blows me away when I see your work. Being an artist too, (albeit of two different genres other than drawing) I can thoroughly appreciate the "art" behind the art. There is no ceiling for you. The sky is not the limit; you can and will go beyond. Man, keep doing it and I look forward to some of the ideas we discussed.