The Cluster
6th September until 1st November
Sketchbook Journal Workshops: Chapter 2
with Lorraine Berkshire-Roe
Price: £22 per workshop
WHAT
A sketchbook journal is a place to explore creativity and record the world around you. They have the personality of their creators and can be a therapeutic place where you can do whatever you chose and make your own rules.
During the workshops you will be introduced to the basics of keeping a sketchbook journal:
What is the best sort of book? Which materials can I use? What can I put in my book?
In these 5 workshops you can experiment with colour and information graphics, draw in situ, learn about typography and how to communicate with letters and different fonts, create a portrait and explore mixed media collage.
WHO
Lorraine Berkshire-Roe is an Oxford-based illustrator and ceramic artist who works mainly in pen and ink, creating playful, characterful pieces that bring a bit of joy to the everyday. After years of developing her style through sketchbooks and creative challenges like Inktober, she returned to self-employment in 2024 and now produces prints, cards, and hand-crafted ceramics, all with her signature touch of humour and warmth.
She’s spent the past decade juggling creative projects with teaching, most recently running after-school art clubs and workshops for kids. These days you’ll find her at markets around Oxford, sharing her latest work, taking commissions, and building a practice rooted in community and curiosity.
WHEN, HOW MUCH & HOW TO BOOK
There are 8 places available at each workshop.
5 fortnightly workshops, 10am-12pm
£22 per session
SOLD OUT
Workshop 3: Saturday 4th October
TYPOGRAPHY – Visual ways to communicate with letters and different fonts
SOLD OUT
Workshop 4: Saturday 18th October
Create a Portrait in a frame
SOLD OUT
Workshop 5: Saturday 1st November
Explore mixed-media collage
BOOKING CLOSED
Workshop 1: Saturday 06th September
Experimenting with colour and information graphics
BOOKING CLOSED
Workshop 2: Saturday 20th September
Drawing in-situ
WHERE
The Cluster, 3-5 Middle Way, OX2 7LH (the best co-working space in the universe, says us!)
It will take place indoors at The Cluster co-working space, 3-5 Middle Way, Summertown, Oxford. There are regular buses from Oxford city centre to Summertown. There are some 3 hour parking spaces along Middle Way but these are subject to availability. There is Summertown car park opposite Oakthorpe Road.
Lovely things attendees have said about our previous workshops*
*oh stop it!
Bloody brilliant!
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
Loved the sessions. So well prepared. All the materials, a theme for the session, a great location… Super encouraging environment. Can’t think of anything that was missing.
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
I have loved Lorraine’s workshops and have already booked onto another. I feel able to give sketching, doodling and scribbling a go which is so lovely for my busy brain. I enjoy the process and feel proud of the results which is MEGA!
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
Lovely teacher in a relaxed setting, encouraging and providing plenty of ideas to get you started. Liked having a range of materials to try. Lots pf fun and time just flies.
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
Really enjoyed Lorraine’s, very well planned with lots of resources available. It’s a whole new world – can’t wait for the next one! Venue very friendly.
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
I thought the venue was excellent (helped by the availability of coffee) and the samples you supplied were great, it must have taken ages to prepare! Many thanks and looking forward to the next one.
Steph
Workshop Attendee
Thank you for all the prep you did, it paid off. What a magical morning. Pure joy, honestly it was great. I love your style of teaching too, you put everyone at their ease.
Bev
Workshop Attendee
A fantastic session! First time using a dip pen for me. I would not have thought of trying this myself otherwise, so a door I didn’t even know was there has opened. It was also a great opportunity to try out different nibs to get a sense of the possibilities.
Bela
Workshop Attendee
It was such a good workshop, I loved it and can’t wait for the next one!
Nicola
Workshop Attendee
Jolly well done Kevin for running such a marvellous venue. Lorraine, your first journaling class was absolutely top-hole! Looking forward to the next class in a fortnight.
Cathryn
Workshop Attendee
Workshop 3 SOLD OUT
Saturday 4th October / 10am to 12pm
£22
TYPOGRAPHY – Visual ways to communicate with letters and different fonts
This is the third of five separate workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
This workshop is all about typography, You can use different fonts which are particular and specific to a place or event, and try different ways of writing headings and titles to bring your page to life. Basically more information graphics!
You will have the opportunity to create 2 words ‘The Cluster’ using different ways of producing text and then create your own headings and body copy using some examples given to copy or stick in as a collage.
Workshop 4 SOLD OUT
Saturday 18th October / 10am to 12pm
£22
Create a portrait in a frame
This is the fourth of five separate workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
It’s portrait time. You can bring a picture in of someone famous, fictional or a family member to draw and immortalise in your sketchbook – it could even be a pet. As usual, there will be some other ways to add depth and a 3D flourish to your creation.
Workshop 5 SOLD OUT
Saturday 1st November / 10am to 12pm
£22
Explore mixed-media collage
This is the fifth of five separate workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
In this final workshop you will be a chance to record something useful that you might want to look back on as reference, using collage, drawing, hand-written text and decorative elements.
There are many things that are useful but hard to remember. It could be something practical like a recipe, something scientific like the planets in our solar system, the bones in our body, the works of Shakespeare or a biographical or historical timeline, anything that interests you really.
Recording things visually can help us remember things, it’s super handy for exams but it’s also really handy in everyday life.
In this session you will be making a historical timeline of the kings and queens of England from Henry VIII up to the present day. Don’t worry, there will be pictures of them to stick in if you don’t want to draw all 22 of them! We will be exploring ways to make it interesting and group the royal dynasties in a visually interesting way, using fold out sections to make it longer using mixed media to make all that historical information make sense.
Booking for Workshop 1 CLOSED
Saturday 6th September / 10am to 12pm
£22
Experimenting with colour and information graphics
This is the first of five separate workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Sketchbooks can be great places to explore new art techniques and keep information for future reference.
In this workshop we will be mixing colours and making swatches using watercolour paints. You will see how utilising some information graphics can make it easier to record and use the information for reference later.
Booking for Workshop 2 CLOSED
Saturday 20th September / 10am to 12pm
£22
Drawing in-situ
This is the second of five separate workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
You will be exploring the art of drawing in-situ in this session. It is something that does take practice, but it is a really wonderful way of achieving some mindfulness. When you are drawing an environment it takes all your concentration: getting lost in capturing a view really does make the rest of the world disappear for a short while.
You will be making a series of drawings around the Cluster building, starting off with a one minute sketch. The you will progress to a 5 minute sketch, 15 and then 45 minutes, using a variety of media. some including people, some without.
You can add a title, date and any other information that you wish to the drawings afterwards and there will be the chance to take a small instant photo of the view and stick that in somewhere on the page.
If you have attended an in-situ drawing workshop with me at The Cluster before, then don’t worry, it won’t be exactly the same and in my opinion you can’t have enough practice, so it’s always useful to do more.
↓ Peek down there to see what the last workshop attendees got up to… ↓
OTHER USEFUL STUFF
The following materials will be provided for use during the sessions:
drawing pencils, coloured pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, scissors, glue sticks, tape, water colour paint sets, paintbrushes, a variety of pens such as brush markers, fine liners, paint markers, highlighters and any materials needed for the session experimenting with an art technique.
You are welcome to bring your own sketchbook to the workshops, but something with thicker paper than standard printer paper is recommended because you will be drawing on both sides.
There will be sketchbooks available to purchase at the start of the first session for £6. They are A5 in size with pages of thick cartridge paper and some materials can be purchased if you wish to continue sketching at home. Details of this will be provided in the first workshop.
ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION
Please note that sessions will take place inside The Cluster building, which is a characterful older property. The outdoor area has uneven block paving, which may be difficult for those with limited mobility.
Toilets are available for use; however, they are not fully accessible. Most sessions will be held on the first floor, accessible only via a dog-leg staircase (similar to a spiral staircase, but angular rather than curved).
Unfortunately, the building is not wheelchair accessible.
If you have specific accessibility needs or questions, please feel free to contact us in advance so we can support you as best we can.
REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY
We want you to book with confidence. If, for any reason, the workshop isn’t right for you, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee up to 3 days before the date of the workshop – no questions asked.
If you need to cancel within 3 days of the workshop, please contact us. While we can’t guarantee a full refund at this stage, we’re happy to discuss options, including transferring your place to another date (if available) or to someone else.
If the workshop is cancelled by the tutor or venue, you will receive a full refund.
