Working with color can be a tricky thing. The question I get most from surface pattern designers is about what color profile to use.

In this video, I take away some of the mysteries behind color profiles and why I start my work in RGB. You'll better understand RGB, CMYK, and Pantone colors. I use...

Color and light always play a vital role in my artwork. Though I am mostly known for creating abstract and expressive artwork, I sometimes like to return to my roots. Sometimes there is something so satisfying about creating a photorealistic image. It's not something I often do, but it is good...

Here are my iPad essentials for artists and designers—the goods I use.

If you are a surface pattern designer, illustrator, or artist, you're asking yourself, "Should I get an iPad?". The answer is YES! The next question you should ask is, "Do I need a drawing glove?". Again, the answer is...

The Time-Lapse feature on Procreate is one of my favorite features of the app. After you create your artwork, you can view or export a video of you making your art in time-lapse. These are great for sharing on social media, and process videos have high engagement.

In this video, I'll show you how...

Clipping masks in Adobe Illustrator can be a little tricky to wrap your head around. I've created this step-by-step tutorial for beginners on how to create a clipping mask in Illustrator. 

In this video tutorial, I'll walk you through the basic steps of making a clipping mask. Let me know if...

Learning key commands in Adobe Illustrator is essential to your workflow as a design professional. In this short tutorial for beginners, I'll teach you how to copy and paste in Adobe Illustrator using key commands.

What are key commands?

Key commands are shortcuts on your keyboard that access...

As you know, I love the Coolors app and website for creating color palettes from scratch – watch how I do that here. 

Another way I like to use Coolors is to create color palettes from photographs.

Create a Color Palette from a Photograph

In this video, I'll show you how I use the...

If you're a designer looking for a way to create color palettes or expand your use of color, Coolors is a great app to get started. There is a website and an app. In these tutorials, I will show two ways I use Coolors to create color palettes. You'll learn how to create color palettes from...

Working with pattern swatches in Adobe Illustrator can initially seem a little tricky. Pattern swatches exist in Illustrator in the "Swatches" Panel. When you select an object, you can fill it with a repeat pattern by choosing the pattern from the swatches.

When it comes to scaling the pattern or...

I always use vibrant colors – part of my signature style. It's one of the reasons I love working with gouache paints so much. The pigments are rich and opaque. The pinks and the oranges have these killer neon hues. I love the intensity. What I don't love so much is how they translate into...

Hey everyone! 

I'm moving the blog to Multi Color Minds – my membership for creative entrepreneurs to level up their design and branding skills.

I'm Xhico. I'm an artist and designer who has worked since the late 80s. I specialize in branding and surface pattern design and work as...