Gemma Berenguer is a printmaker based in Barcelona who specialises in screen printing. In this Artist Insights film, she shares her story, from falling in love with screen printing, to establishing a multi-purpose screen printing art collective, where the artists work on their own projects, commissions for gig posters and prints on fabric, as well as sharing their knowledge through workshops. Watch Gemma demonstrate the double-emulsion technique, the split fountain colour blending technique, and how to create a gradient using a special transparent screen printing medium.
Artist Insights: Gemma Berenguer
Contents
0:00 Introduction
0:17 “Screen Printing Changed My Life”
0:50 Gemma’s First Encounter With Screen Printing
1:19 The Beginnings of Her Career
2:18 The Foundation of Monostereo Art Collective
3:47 Taping the Screen
4:03 Creating LP Covers and Posters
4:52 Using Drawing Fluid
5:08 How Do You Come Up With a Design?
5:45 The Double Emulsion Technique
7:15 The Benefits of Using Photo-sensitive Emulsion
7:36 Creating a Blended Background
8:06 “Colour Mixing is My Favourite Part of the Process”
8:42 Flooding the Ink and Pulling the Print
9:45 “Paper is My Favourite Surface”
10:29 Printing the Second Layer
10:55 “Screen Printing Files are Crucial”
11:18 Registering and Inking the Second Print
12:10 Manipulating the Transparency of the Ink
13:29 Cleaning the Screen
13:50 Water-based vs. Solvent-based Inks
14:29 The Final Layer
14:55 “Always Print More Than You Need”
15:30 “When You Print the Final Layer it’s Very Rewarding”
15:42 “I Don’t Know What My Life Would Be if I Didn’t Choose This Path”
16:05 Credits
About Gemma Berenguer
Gemma first discovered screen printing during her time earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts at university, and it was love at first sight! Trapped by the art form’s versatility, Gemma experimented on many surfaces, and with a range of graphic styles during her time as a student. After college, she decided to continue her training at the Printer’s Guild. Gemma spent several years as a screen printing operator, but missed the artistic elements and process she enjoyed in her own work.
As a result, Gemma started her own shop, Monostereo in 2008. This artists collective provides workshops and demonstrations at several schools, social centres, and various organisations, along with commissioning works of the finest quality art prints, gig posters, LP/book covers, and limited editions on fabric, wood, etc. Alongside Eledu (@eleduworks), Gemma’s Monostereo is also a proud Board member of API (American Poster Institute) and designs, and hand-prints a broad spectrum of their own gig posters, graphic works, and promotes the gig poster culture worldwide. Gemma is also member of the Speedball Professional Artist Network, and teams up with them all around Europe making demos to showcase and explain their products.
Further Reading
The Best Way to Transfer Images to Lino
Screen Printing With Dave Buonaguidi Aka Real Hackney Dave
In Conversation With David Valliere From Speedball
Screen Printing With Screentec Aqua Art Water Based Screen Ink
Shop Screen Printing on jacksonsart.com
