Born in Canyon City, Colorado, Charlie Dye's confirmation of his artistic calling was the discovery of some pen and ink drawings by Charles Russell. He had spent his youth both sketching and living the ranching life, and upon seeing Russell's work, decided that he would strive to make his own mark through western art. He later studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and became an illustrator for various magazines in New York.

After several years as an illustrator, Dye ventured back to Colorado in 1957 and became president of the Colorado Institute of Art, where he taught figure drawing and painting. In the meantime, Dye continued to paint, which led to gallery representation by the Village Gallery in Taos, New Mexico, and the Grand Central Gallery in New York. It wasn't long before Dye left his position with the school and moved to Sedona, Arizona, to pursue a full-time painting career.

In 1976, the Cowboy Hall of Fame awarded Dye first prize for a painting titled "Through the Aspen". That painting is now part of the Hall's permanent collection.