https://github.com/tmchow/illo-skill
illo — an AI agent skill that turns ideas and articles into original print-style editorial illustrations, starring a recurring mascot. Ten bundled looks, custom characters, OpenRouter-powered.
https://github.com/tmchow/illo-skill
agent-skills claude-code illustration image-generation skill
Last synced: about 5 hours ago
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illo — an AI agent skill that turns ideas and articles into original print-style editorial illustrations, starring a recurring mascot. Ten bundled looks, custom characters, OpenRouter-powered.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/tmchow/illo-skill
- Owner: tmchow
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-06-12T16:03:22.000Z (6 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-15T23:18:44.000Z (2 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-17T02:22:21.052Z (1 day ago)
- Topics: agent-skills, claude-code, illustration, image-generation, skill
- Language: Python
- Homepage: https://illo-skill.com
- Size: 15.7 MB
- Stars: 153
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 4
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
- Agents: AGENTS.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# illo
Generate original print-style **editorial illustrations** for articles and
blogs, starring a recurring mascot that performs each idea. Each character
pack carries one of ten bundled looks (riso, blueprint, woodcut, pixel, clay,
manila, chalk, phosphor, enamel, gouache) or a custom style — default
**Blot** (a deadpan ink-drop), or design your own with the built-in character
builder. One-metaphor-per-image scenes with named + custom + derived palettes
and reference-image character consistency. Renders through **two backends**:
your **Codex CLI** (gpt-image-2 on your Codex subscription — free for
subscribers, no API key) when one is installed and logged in, or
**OpenRouter** (model-selectable: Grok Imagine, Nano Banana 2/Pro, GPT-5.4
Image 2, …) as the universal fallback.
Hand it *"we replatform with zero downtime"* and you get the bridge being
rebuilt under live traffic:
> **🌐 [illo-skill.com](https://illo-skill.com)** — live examples, the
> character gallery, and copy-paste installs.
The skill itself lives in [`skills/illo/`](skills/illo/) — its
[README](skills/illo/README.md) is the full developer reference
(prerequisites, API-key setup, models & cost, everything below in detail).
Same idea, different voice — four of the ten bundled looks:
riso — the house default
clay — stop-motion plasticine
phosphor — CRT trace on glass
blueprint — draftsman linework
## Install
**Quick install — any agent.** One command for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex,
Copilot, Gemini CLI, and the ~70 other runtimes the
[skills CLI](https://skills.sh) supports (update later with
`npx skills update`):
```bash
npx skills add tmchow/illo-skill --skill illo
```
**Platform-native installs.** The repo also ships a plugin/extension
manifest for each major runtime, so you can install through your platform's
own package manager and get managed updates:
| Platform | Install | Update |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Claude Code** | `/plugin marketplace add tmchow/illo-skill` then `/plugin install illo@illo-skill` | `claude plugin update illo`, or enable marketplace auto-update |
| **Codex** | `codex plugin marketplace add tmchow/illo-skill` then `codex plugin add illo@illo-skill` | `codex plugin marketplace upgrade` |
| **Gemini CLI** | `gemini extensions install https://github.com/tmchow/illo-skill` | `gemini extensions update illo` |
| **Copilot / GitHub CLI** | `gh skill install tmchow/illo-skill illo` (cross-agent via `--agent`) | `gh skill update illo` |
| **Cursor** | `npx skills add tmchow/illo-skill --skill illo` (Cursor Marketplace listing pending review) | re-run the installer |
| **Hermes** | `hermes skills install tmchow/illo-skill/illo` | `hermes skills update illo` |
| **OpenClaw** | `openclaw skills install illo` | reinstall with the same command |
Every lane installs the same skill; releases are tagged `v` and
the version in every manifest is kept in lockstep with
`skills/illo/SKILL.md` by CI.
## Repo layout
The skill sits in `skills/illo/`, following the layout of the canonical
skill repos (anthropics/skills, openai/skills): a top-level `skills/`
folder, one directory per skill. It is deliberately not at the repo root —
installers copy the entire skill directory verbatim, so the skill dir holds
only what every install should ship. Docs-only images live in
`_assets/illo/` (linked by raw URL), and repo meta stays at the root —
including the plugin manifests (`.claude-plugin/`, `.codex-plugin/`,
`.cursor-plugin/`, `gemini-extension.json`) that make the repo installable
as a native plugin on each platform.
## Companion repos
- [tmchow/illo-characters](https://github.com/tmchow/illo-characters) —
community character packs ("install the blip character").
## Provenance
illo started life inside
[tmchow/agent-skills](https://github.com/tmchow/agent-skills); it moved here
with full git history. The old location keeps a frozen copy so existing
installs don't break, but this repo is the canonical home — new versions
ship only from here.
## License
MIT © Trevin Chow — see [`LICENSE`](LICENSE) and
[`skills/illo/NOTICE`](skills/illo/NOTICE) for attribution of the Blot character and
bundled artwork.