.figure drawing...

Last night was semi-Illustration Academy drawing, which I've been sorely missing. It shows in my drawing - everything is a little out of proportion and overworked, but it's been at least six months since I worked with a live model so that's not exactly surprising.
What was surprising, or maybe just unexpected, was an interaction with someone in the room.
Older gentleman, sitting to my left. Ignored me initially, as you do in a live drawing situation - we're here to draw, not make friends - aside from commenting on the number of pastels that were in the room, and I responded with a quip about John converting everyone sooner or later.  We did the 3minute and 5 minute pose, and finally got into the first 20 minute pose.

And he looks over at my completed drawing, and makes a comment about how good he thinks it is. "Thanks!' I respond, because I'm working hard on being better at taking compliments at face value. And he asks if I'm a student, which amuses me because yes I am a student in that life-long learner sort of way, but I'm pretty sure he's referring to "In School" which I haven't been in 14 years, so "No, not for a long time."
And I go to the bathroom.
And when I come back and sit down he lets me know that I'm making him self conscious about his own work - and I'm not sure if it was a skill thing, or an age thing, or a gender thing - but I found myself reassuring him that the only person he needed to worry about was himself because he was the only person he was in competition with.
And then he ignored me for the rest of the night, aside from some more grumbling about being an old pencil guy in a room full of pastels, which was fine.
Yes, please just let me draw in peace.