Full of win

So, I was on a field trip for University last Saturday, with a Professor who has a Reputation of being very strict and very black and white in his views.
If you do what he says, he's your best friend. If you don't, he's your worst nightmare.
I for one like him, though I had not much to do with him in the past, but I know who to handle this type of character.
So far I was in the grey zone, I didn't stand out - neither good nor bad.

Well, on that field trip, said Professor told us he wanted a report from each group (á two students) but a drawing (of the outcrop) from everyone.
With fine liner.

I instantly chipped in, if we can also draw it digitally and he immediately snapped a "No!" at me.
At that point, every one of my fellow students would have ducked and be silent. But I felt very confident in my abilities especially since I had a similar conversation with another Prof who later was very delighted by my drawings, so I didn't duck and instead I threw back, that my digital drawings look much better than my paper ones.
He dismissed it and still refused to acknowledge digital drawings and left us to our work.

My fellow students than came to me and told me: "One does not argue with Prof. S.! If you do, he'll bully you forever!"

And indeed there flew a joke from him about me across the field later on, but since I know his type, I didn't take it personally and instead I joined in the laughing (it was funny, after all...).

But my self-confidence in this matter must have impressed him, since he came back to me later and asked about the drawings. I told him, that I work with Photoshop and a tablet, and that I wouldn't dare to present him with some shitty mouse+paint doodle.

Still later he came a third time, showing me one of his example-fine-liner-drawings and asking me if I could do that on the computer. I didn't even wait a second to snap a proud and very self-confident "Yup." at him, which must have impressed him even more, for he was open to the possibility and told me to send him an example of my earlier works.

I guess the fact that everybody submits to his will without a fight, and my very self-confident stance made him really curious, if I could back that up.

Again: He is respected but feared by most students and I'm sure if I had send him a paint-doodle, he would've lacerated me in mid-air.
(I make him sound like a bad guy, but he's really great and funny, and a wonderful teacher. His lectures are among the best presented I know. You just don't want to mess with him. And his military barking scares off most students, but if you can back up what you say, and you dare to bark back, he loves it. I like these type of teachers )


So, I did send him a few of my past drawings that I used in previous reports for other Professors and than came his answer:

"with your drawings you managed to surprise and to convince me. These really do look good."

He went on telling me, most digital drawings he sees are "below average" Corel Draw doodles, what is why he was skeptic, and I can completely understand.
The average Geologist doesn't have a Wacom tablet on their desk, afaik
So he gave me permission to hand in digital drawings for this field trip's report.

And I must say, I feel as if I've won an Oscar My Mum commented, that I had chutzpah (in a positive sense), to stand up to that Professor and stand my ground and end up convincing him.

It sure lifted my spirits :]