Sharjah24: It is no secret that NFTs or non-fungible tokens have captured the imagination of those interested in the digital world and the next iteration of the internet - Web3.

To keep young people abreast of developments in modern technology, especially in the digital field, the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair is opening up a wider world of possibilities through the ‘NFT art workshop that demystifies the thriving digital phenomenon and enhances skills of the new generation.

Held daily at the Comics Corner in Hall 7 at the fair's venue of Expo Centre Sharjah, the digital art workshop hosted by Skilldeer, teaches kids how to use the iPad or any device, in an effective way, to make their own digital comics, and even create their own NFT art collection. 

Digital artist Grace Fawaz, who leads the workshop, says: "In art, there are different ways to present your creativity, and especially now, digital art helps open horizons for young people, because in the current era, digital art can be used not only as an artwork on the wall, it can be used as merchandise, art for websites or social media."

During the workshop, Fawaz explains that NFTs are art that is put online, and through a smart contract, shows who the actual owner of the unique artwork is. Using an app called Procreate, participants are given an image and asked to customise it to their choice using layers and unique traits.

The workshop fosters a way for children of all ages who are interested in art to also envision it as a future career prospect. "We live in a world where art is evolving, and this is the next generation of art. The NFT art workshop helps them get on board with what is happening in the world around us today,” said the trainer.

She added: "At this age, the kids already know what it’s about. So if they’re creative and want to do their own, we teach them ways to create a little collection of NFT artworks."