Charlie Yellow

Charlie Yellow is a Japanese-born illustrator based in Chicago who brings yurukawa (cute but quirky) to life. She celebrates everyday charm and the beauty of diversity—or even hidden thorns—through colorful illustrations, zines, and riso prints.

work in progress

Printing a Fish on My New Riso Machine!

Our new-to-us Riso machine (an SF5450!) arrived today! I couldn’t resist testing it with a tai fish print—black ink only, but still fun!

news

Oops! I Missed a Day… But for a Good Reason!

I totally forgot to post yesterday!! I was a couple of days away from hitting 300 days in a row! But… the zine fest was amazing, so I forgive myself.

work in progress

Working Out the last Osusowake Holiday Comic

Still figuring out the last holiday comic for Osusowake Club! This one’s been stuck for weeks—but I think I found the right twist!

work in progress

Accidental Ōsōji

A gloomy day, a messy desk, and suddenly… I caught the bug. Today turned into a mini ōsōji—Japanese-style year-end deep cleaning!

inspiration

Reading “How To Art Book Fair” Got Me Planning Things

A zine I picked up last weekend—How To Art Book Fair—got me excited about applying to more fairs next year. Here we go!

work in progress

Packing Something Long for TCA Zinefest

Prepping Something Long for TCA Zinefest this Saturday!

work in progress

Tiny Osusowake Comics in Progress

Working on little 4-panel comics based on Osusowake Club illustrations—today’s post is a sneak peek!

inspiration

A Birthday Gift from Me to Me

I bought an art piece by Chicago artist Katie Lukes as a birthday gift to myself—and she hand-delivered it! I'm so happy!

inspiration

Holiday Market Visit at Field Notes HQ

We visited the Field Notes Holiday Market near our house! First time going inside their HQ—and we even got to meet Cody Hudson!

work in progress

Another Batch of Something Long Ready to Go

Last night we assembled a new batch of Something Long! A little extra ink drama this time, but everything’s finally ready to go!

inspiration

Visiting the Wizard of Oz Exhibit at Driehaus

Went to the Driehaus Museum with a friend today to see The Land of Oz: Beyond the Page. A bit small, but super charming!

work in progress

Charlie’s Future Dream Diary

In this dream, it's December 2030 and I’m in Tokyo with my husband and our five-year-old… for the Tokyo Art Book Fair!

work in progress

Meanwhile at Osusowake Club…

I’ve started turning one of my Osusowake Club illustrations into a 4-panel comic! Past me already had a sketch ready—nice!!

inspiration

Tiny Boxes, Big Personalities

We stopped by a matchbox art show called General Strike at Joy Machine—70+ artists, tiny boxes, and tons of inspiration!

work in progress

Printing Something Long (Again...)

I reprinted Something Long last night! It turned out great in the end—but wow, getting there was a rollercoaster of test prints, ink drama, and tiny disasters.

work in progress

When Spudnik Canceled and We Printed at Home

Today was supposed to be my print day at Spudnik… but after a last-minute cancellation, I ended up doing the session at our home studio instead!

inspiration

Frostbite & Stickers: A Downtown Adventure

Chicago was freezing again today, but I still made it downtown for my annual checkup... and found some very fun stickers along the way!

work in progress

Goodbye Suffering, Hello Photoshop Hack

Tried exporting Riso layers from Procreate to Photoshop for the first time—and the grayscale trick I learned? LIFE-CHANGING.

work in progress

Color Me Done (Almost)

Finished recoloring Something Long! Just need to grayscale the files tomorrow and it’s print-ready for Saturday!

inspiration

Oops, I Devoured All of Demon Slayer

I finally finished all 23 volumes of Demon Slayer! And now my heart is a little broken. Worth it.

work in progress

Back to the Long, Long Drawing Board

Thanksgiving break is over, and it’s back to the reprint grind! One down, six colorful updates to go...

monthly recap

Monthly Charlie’s Playground: November 2025

November flew by! Wrapping up Osusowake Club and printing new risograph work—here’s a look back at my favorite creative moments this month.

Snowbound with Demon Slayers

Snowed in all day in Chicago, I canceled my plans and spent the afternoon reading Demon Slayer. A cozy, unexpected snow-day break!

Homemade Mac & Cheese for Thanksgiving

We brought baked mac & cheese and Japanese chocolate to a family gathering—and our layered, cheesy dish was a total crowd-pleaser!

Happy Thanksgiving from Charlie Yellow!

Celebrating Thanksgiving with mac & cheese and a festive turkey illustration. Hope your holiday is cozy and full of cheer!