Guide

What to ask for. Agents can also read llms.txt; the full procedure lives in the skill's SKILL.md.

Quick start

# a bare idea
/illo you are the bottleneck

# a whole post
/illo https://yourblog.com/shipping-discipline hero + 3 images

# install a character
/illo install mole character pack

Not installed yet? Install illo skill →

What to ask for

swipe the table →

You want Ask for Example
One image for an idea Editorial scene (default) /illo scope creep has a smell
Illustrate a whole article Hero + inline set /illo <url> hero + 3 images
Before→after, fail→fix Mini-comic /illo stuck → slice → shipped as a mini-comic
Pipeline, flow, timeline Explainer diagram /illo how a book gets published explainer diagram
Mascot sticker / overlay Character cutout /illo pip cutout waving
Match your site or brand Named or derived palette /illo scope creep has a smell emerald green accent
Your own mascot Character builder /illo build a character

How to build →

the default

Editorial scenes

One caught moment: the mascot performing the idea — not decorating it. Use when you want the reader to feel the judgment, trap, or payoff.

Not for: traceable structures (use an explainer) or overlay stickers (use a cutout).

See examples →

when the idea moves through stages

Mini-comics

2–4 panels inside a single image. Same character and key object in every panel — one moment advancing. Great for social posts and process stories.

See examples →

when the structure is the point

Explainer diagrams

Hand-built flows, fan-outs, timelines, loops, stacks — stations the reader can trace, with short callouts. Ask for an explainer diagram when the thesis is the path — e.g. /illo how a book gets published explainer diagram.

Not for: emotional metaphors — those stay editorial scenes.

See examples →

just the mascot

Character cutouts

Transparent PNG — pose and contact continuity only. No scene, no text, no idea to explain. For slides, docs, or pasting onto something else downstream.

Not for: illustrating an article — reroute to a scene if the ask needs a metaphor.

See examples →

Characters & looks

Each character pack couples one mascot with one bundled print look — riso, blueprint, woodcut, pixel, clay, and nine more. You don't swap looks on an existing pack; build a style-variant sibling if you need the same character in a different look.

Browse character packs → illo-characters repo →

Ready?

Install illo skill See examples