Sketchbook Workshop – A First From Us

We had a first at No.1 Befriending in March - an online event aimed at supporting both clients and volunteers! It was specifically aimed at digital skills and our fantastic volunteer, Nadia, led the workshop on how to use the Sketchbook app. In a change of routine, it was an evening session so that as many people as possible could attend and we welcomed seven clients and volunteers, all eager to learn something new and have a laugh. 

This workshop ran in conjunction with our monthly Power Hours, which spread digital know-how to our clients, from how to set up Zoom calls to the benefits of online banking. The main difference was that this one left the practical world behind and, as we delved into how to add colourful comments and self-made graphics to the photos we uploaded, we just let ourselves have some fun. Many participants wanted to focus on how to draw fun-filled graphics using the tools on the app and others wanted to improve their existing photographs in a more natural way. Thanks to Nadia, we were able to look at both of these areas in the space of an hour: we took the image of the Clyde running through Glasgow and added dramatic mountains to the background which could have come straight out of Lord of the Rings; and annotated a nostalgic photograph of a silhouette surveying the scene with wistful comments to match, turning a standard photograph into a unique picture postcard. There is scope for additional sessions in the future where we can look at different apps that ‘touch up’ photographs using ever-more subtle techniques, expanding our knowledge together. 

As always, we encourage all clients and volunteers to get in touch and tell us any digital questions they have or skills they would like to develop. We have a wide network of experienced people out there who are eager to pass on their knowledge and will always do our best to meet our befriendees’ needs.