Charles Wyllie was the younger brother of William Lionel Wyllie and in his youth showed such promise that he had his first painting hung in the Royal Academy at the age of thirteen.  He worked both in oil and watercolour and his subjects, though of a shipping nature, tended to be mainly of harbour, river or canal scenes.
During World War I he worked as a naval camouflage expert.  He exhibited at the Royal Academy, New Watercolour Society, Suffolk Street and the Grosvenor Gallery and was a member of the Royal Institute of Painters.
The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, has two examples of his work and the Tate Gallery has 'Digging for Bait' which was bought by the Chantrey Bequest.