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.

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!

inspiration

A Street Sticker That Sparked a Flashback

A random sticker brought back memories of the strange but iconic No More Eiga Dorobo video from Japanese movie theaters.

inspiration

Why I Can't Stop Reading Demon Slayer

Reflecting on what keeps me hooked on the manga Demon Slayer: it might be the breathtaking battles, but even more so, the heartbreaking humanity in every demon's backstory.

work in progress

Procreate Tip for Risograph Prep: Select & Cut Saves the Day!

Using Procreate’s Select & Cut tool to prep clean layers for risograph printing—game changer

work in progress

Bit by Bit: Color Tweaks for Something Long

A quiet day, but I still got one small step done on Something Long—repainting one illustration in risograph colors. One layer at a time!

inspiration

Sailor Moon Like You’ve Never Seen

A dazzlingly powerful version of Sailor Moon illustrated by @totesferosh—equal parts magical and magnificent!

work in progress

Reworking the Color Separation for “Something Long”

I pulled out my “Something Long” project to redo the color separation. This time, I’m aiming for bolder, more satisfying risograph colors!

inspiration

My Holiday Treat: Finally Bought All of Demon Slayer!

After much hesitation, I finally gave in and bought the entire Demon Slayer manga set! Time to binge-read my holiday reward!

inspiration

When You Need a Laugh (and a Good Cry)

Obsessed with Butter Biscuit, a YouTube channel turning wild Harry Potter mistranslations into laugh-out-loud animations!

Because… It’s the Holidays!

It’s been raining in Chicago since this morning, and the skies have been gray all day. I didn’t have anything scheduled today except for a quick delivery of the cat postcard order this morning—so I decided to take it easy! I mean, I’ve been going nonstop

work in progress

Reprinting Everyone: Back at Spudnik Press!

I revisited a piece I made in 2020—Everyone—for a brand-new risograph reprint, now in a vibrant 4-color palette!

work in progress

Taking a Breather After the Big Send-Off

Four days after mailing out my Osusowake Club packages, messages are rolling in—even from Montana and Hawaii!

inspiration

A Visit to Staple + Stitch at the 55 Hotel

We stopped by the Staple + Stitch art book fair at the 55 Hotel in downtown Chicago—an inspiring afternoon surrounded by zines, photo books, and risograph prints!

work in progress

Reprinting the Cat for extra Osusowake!

Got a surprise order for the Osusowake cat postcard—did a solo reprint session and made some color improvements, too!