Artist Jason Patterson, 23, speaks and paints boldly. The CU native says he is obsessed with the human form. Naturally, his paintings are of, well, people.

“I’ve never had any interest in doing anything else,” Patterson said. “Doing a landscape would be like doing a math problem for me.”

He paints friends, family and iconic figures like Malcolm X (the subject of his current piece), often finding emotions or characteristics that other people might not notice. He often paints texts out of context, such as explicit rap lyrics superimposed on a Ralph Lauren model.

Patterson has little formal training and takes guidance from instructors at Parkland College. He said he has taught himself 90 percent of what he knows.

French artist Pierre Paul Prud’hon’s drawing style is a major influence on Patterson, who said he appreciates how realistic the results are from Prud’hon’s relatively easy technique.

A full-time clerk at Art Coop, the art supply store on Green Street, Patterson lives for art both personally and professionally.

“There’s never been a day where I don’t want to go to work,” he said.

Patterson says self-discipline is key to maintaining his artistic skills and vision.

“I don’t think I’m as good as Picasso or Dali,” he said. “Those guys were as good as they were because they worked all the time, nonstop. The way I see it is, if I want to make it and turn this into a career I can live off of, I have to do that. Even when I’m at work, I’m working.”

Patterson plans to apply to the Art Institute of Chicago for fall 2009.

“I’m mostly doing it because it’ll put me in the system,” he explained. “Just being in a big city, going to art school — there will be more opportunities. What happens with that, happens with that.”

And if it doesn’t happen?

“If I just work at Art Coop for the rest of my life and paint, I can’t see that being a problem,” Patterson said. “This is all I do, this is all I want to do. As long as I can live, and do this, I’m fine, because I don’t spend money on anything else. There’s a reason why I have holes in my shoes. I haven’t bought a new pair of shoes in, like, three years. To me, it’s worth it. Hopefully, it’ll pay off.”

Patterson’s work is on display at Cafe Kopi in downtown Champaign beginning this week, and will be up for about a month.