Backlit Mayfly Dun Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
Wings up, the sun right behind them.
A mayfly dun backlit by fanning sun rays, in burnt orange, golden amber and sepia brown, for wearing on the water.
A mayfly dun stands with its wings up, lit from behind by a burst of sun rays. The design is coloured in burnt orange, golden amber and cream, with fine sepia brown veins and legs.
- Mayfly dun with upright veined wings
- Burnt orange rays fanning from the sun
- Golden amber body, sepia brown detail
- Long twin tails trailing right
- Warm white glints on wings and thorax
The cap
One design, four caps. The front panel is what the paint or the dye sits on, so it changes the hat.
Trucker
The house cap — structured mid profile, foam-and-mesh back, snapback.
Specs
- Profile
- Mid profile
- Build
- 6-panel · Structured — buckram behind the front
- Crown
- 3½ in (8.9 cm)
- Visor
- Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
- Closure
- Snapback
- Adjusts to
- 21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Natural cotton twill
- Sublimated on
- White polyester foam
Rope cap
Structured five-panel with a near-flat brim and a cord across it.
Specs
- Profile
- Mid-high profile
- Build
- 5-panel · Structured
- Crown
- 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Visor
- Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope
- Closure
- Snapback
- Adjusts to
- 21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Stone cotton twill
- Sublimated on
- White polyester twill
Dad hat
Soft, low and unstructured — washed cotton with a strap back.
Specs
- Profile
- Low profile
- Build
- 6-panel · Unstructured — soft front
- Crown
- 3¼ in (8.3 cm)
- Visor
- Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
- Closure
- Strap back, brass buckle
- Adjusts to
- 21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Washed khaki cotton
- Sublimated on
- White polyester twill
Five-panel camp
Flat brim, low crown, packs flat in a vest pocket.
Specs
- Profile
- Low profile
- Build
- 5-panel · Unstructured
- Crown
- 3¼ in (8.3 cm)
- Visor
- Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm)
- Closure
- Strap back, side-release clip
- Adjusts to
- 21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Field olive nylon-cotton
- Sublimated on
- White polyester
Fit
| Cap | Profile | Crown height | Visor | Adjusts to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucker | Mid profile | 3½ in (8.9 cm) | Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm) | 21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm) |
| Rope cap | Mid-high profile | 4 in (10.2 cm) | Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope | 21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm) |
| Dad hat | Low profile | 3¼ in (8.3 cm) | Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm) | 21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm) |
| Five-panel camp | Low profile | 3¼ in (8.3 cm) | Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm) | 21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm) |
One size per cap. Run a tape around your head just above the ears, keeping it level — anything inside the range above will close on it.
Two finishes
The same design, made two ways. Pick one in the panel; the cap and the quantity are yours to choose too.
Hand airbrushed
$85 for one hat, on a trucker
Painted to order — would ship in about 2 weeks
How it is made
- How it is made
- Sprayed by hand through this design's own stencils, one layer at a time, each left to dry before the next mask goes down.
- How it looks
- Soft gradients and hand-cut stencil edges. Every cap is a little different.
- What it sits on
- On a natural cotton twill front.
- Durability and care
- Water-based paint, heat set and sealed. It takes rain and a season on a boat; spot clean with cool water, never a washing machine.
Sublimation printed
$32 for one hat, on a trucker
Printed to order — would ship in 5–7 business days
How it is made
- How it is made
- The design is printed in dye onto transfer paper, then pressed with heat so the dye soaks into the polyester fibres.
- How it looks
- Full colour edge to edge, and identical every time.
- What it sits on
- On a white polyester foam front — sublimation only takes on white polyester.
- Durability and care
- The dye is in the fibre, not on it, so it will not crack or peel. Gentle wash, air dry.
The artwork
A single mayfly dun holds still, wings raised. Burnt orange rays fan out behind it from a white-hot core, and the light shows through the veined amber wings. Two long tails trail off to the right like threads of sepia.
It wears warm and easy, from the river trail to the tailgate. People catch the glow first, then lean in and find the legs, the body bands, the fine veins. Anglers will know the bug before you say a word.
Sepia brown linework carries the whole piece. Keep the wing veins thin and slightly broken so the amber and the light behind still read through them.
What arrives
- The hat
- A care card
- On a hand airbrushed hat, a numbered tag naming the water it was painted from, when the design names one
Looking after it
Hand airbrushed
- Spot clean with cool water and a soft brush. Never a washing machine.
- Keep it out of a hot car for long stretches — heat-set paint is tough, but a dashboard in July is not a test worth running.
- Reshape the brim by hand while damp.
Sublimation printed
- Spot clean, or gently hand wash in cool water. No bleach.
- Air dry. Do not iron the print.
- Reshape the brim by hand while damp.
- The dye is in the fibre, so the print will not crack or peel.
Details
Airbrush palette
- Colours
- cream, golden amber, burnt orange, warm white, sepia brown
Details
- Subject
- mayfly dun
- Style
- backlit realism
Make it yourself
The palette
- Cream
- Golden amber
- Burnt orange
- Warm white
- Sepia brown
The layers
7 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Ground
- Glow
- Rays
- Sun core
- Wings and body
- Detail
- Highlight
The kit's stencil set is cut from these layers; with the cutter (12 hats and up) you cut your own from this design's layer files.
How to mix each colour
Cream
White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
Golden amber
3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen it
Burnt orange
1 part red to 2 parts yellow
Warm white
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
Sepia brown
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
Setup
- Ventilation or a spray booth. Water-based paint still throws a fine mist, and you will be breathing it for hours.
- A half-mask respirator rated for paint mists. A dust mask is not one.
- A compressor with a moisture trap, set and tested on a card before you start: wet air spits water into the paint.
- Reducer and a cleaning pot within reach, so a clog is a ten-second fix instead of a ruined panel.
- Spray a test card for every colour before it touches the cap. Colour reads differently wet, dry and on twill.
Prep
- Lint-roll the front panel. Every fibre left on it prints as a speck in the paint.
- Mask the mesh, any seams you want clean and the whole visor, underside included, with low-tack tape and paper.
- Stretch the crown over the cap jig so the front panel is taut and curved the way it will be worn. Spraying a slack panel flat distorts the design when it is worn.
- Spray one light coat of transparent base so the colour sits on the fabric instead of soaking into it.
Layer by layer
1 · Ground — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
cream — a pale, even base across the whole design
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Cream — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
- Needle
- 0.5 mm (a 0.35 mm works, it just takes longer)
- Pressure
- 25–30 PSI
- Distance
- 6–8 in from the panel
- Passes
- 3–4 light passes, building the colour
- Dry
- 10 minutes, or 60–90 seconds with a heat gun on low, before the next mask goes down
Tip Fade wet to dry and never lay one heavy coat: twill wicks paint sideways and the edge blooms.
2 · Glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
golden amber — a soft round glow just left of centre, fading outward
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Golden amber — 3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen it
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
3 · Rays — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
burnt orange — tapering rays fanning out from the glow to the edges
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Burnt orange — 1 part red to 2 parts yellow
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
4 · Sun core — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
warm white — a bright heart of light behind the wings
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Warm white — Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
5 · Wings and body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
golden amber — two upright wings and a long segmented abdomen
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Golden amber — 3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen it
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
6 · Detail — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
sepia brown — outline, wing veins, six legs, body bands and two long tails
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Sepia brown — Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
- Needle
- 0.3 mm
- Pressure
- 18–22 PSI
- Distance
- 3–4 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes per tone, light to dark
- Dry
- 10 minutes between tones
Tip Light tones first: a light colour over a dark one needs many coats, a dark one over a light one needs two.
7 · Highlight — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
warm white — thin glints along the wing edges and the thorax
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Warm white — Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
- Needle
- 0.2–0.3 mm
- Pressure
- 12–15 PSI
- Distance
- 1–2 in from the panel
- Passes
- Freehand, in short controlled strokes
- Dry
- 10 minutes, then check it before you cure
Tip Low pressure, close in and moving: stop the stroke before you release the trigger.
Step by step
Mask off the design area and spray cream over the whole field. Start around 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 15–20 cm away; treat these as a starting point. Build thin coats and let each flash dry.
Spray golden amber freehand in a soft circle just left of centre, about 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10–15 cm away, feathering the edge so it fades into the cream.
Lay a ray stencil over the glow and spray burnt orange outward from the centre, 18–20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm away. Shift the stencil slightly between passes so the rays taper and vary.
Mist warm white into the very centre of the glow at low pressure, about 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8–10 cm away, for the bright core behind where the wings will sit.
Place the mayfly silhouette mask and spray golden amber for the wings and segmented body, 15–18 PSI, 0.2–0.3 mm needle, 5–8 cm away. Keep the wings lighter so they look see-through.
Switch to sepia brown with a fine detail stencil or freehand: outline, wing veins, legs, body bands and both tails. Try 12–15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3–5 cm away. Thin the paint well.
Add warm white glints along the leading wing edges and the thorax with a 0.2 mm needle at 12 PSI, 3–5 cm away. A few short strokes are enough.
Let the paint cure for at least 24 hours at room temperature, away from dust.
Seal with two light coats of a flexible, fabric-friendly clear topcoat, allowing drying time between coats, then let it cure fully before wear.
Cure
- Heat set at 300°F / 150°C. Water-based textile paint is not wash-fast until it is heat set.
- Cap press: 3–5 minutes with a teflon sheet over the design.
- Or heat gun: 2–3 minutes per panel, keeping it moving 2–3 in off the fabric so it does not scorch.
- If you have neither, air cure for 72 hours before the cap touches water.
Seal
- Two light coats of matte fabric sealer, UV-resistant, from 8–10 in, 15 minutes apart.
- Leave it 24 hours before the cap is worn.
- Never a gloss sealer on cotton twill: it shines, cracks along the creases and looks like a sticker.
Clean-up
- Flush the brush with water, then airbrush cleaner, until it sprays clear.
- Strip the needle and wipe it toward the tip, never away from it.
- Never soak the brush body overnight.
Common mistakes
- Spraying burnt orange too heavily buries the glow. Build it in thin passes and stop while the cream still shows between rays.
- Thick sepia veins flatten the wings. Drop pressure and move closer with thinned paint for hairline lines.
- Painting the warm white core after the insect clouds the wings. Spray the core before the mayfly layers.
- Sealing too soon traps solvent and can turn tacky. Wait the full cure time before the clear coat.
Tips
- Test the ray stencil on scrap first; uneven ray widths look more like real light than perfect spokes.
- Keep the wing amber a shade lighter than the body so the sun reads through the wings.
- Strain sepia brown before the detail pass; a single clog can blob a leg or vein.
- Rest your hand on a support when painting the tails so the long lines stay steady.
Every kit size
Trucker · kit for 1 hat
$213
Bought separately $237 · you save $24
Includes Starter airbrush set · Cap jig · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Blanks
- Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$9
Stencils
- Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 7 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$30
- Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$7
- Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$8
- Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$12
Equipment
- Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$129
- Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$24
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
Trucker · kit for 12 hats
$1,048
$87.33 a hat
Bought separately $1,192 · you save $144
Includes Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush · Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap · Cap jig and two spare crown forms · Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan · and 11 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Blanks
- Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$78
Stencils
- Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$299
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$22
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$70
- Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$16
- Low-tack masking film$18
- Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$28
Equipment
- Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$135
- Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$179
- Cap jig and two spare crown forms$64
- Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$149
- Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$99
- Heat gun for curing$35
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
Trucker · kit for 12 × 12 hats
$3,043
$21.13 a hat
Bought separately $3,580 · you save $537
Includes Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes · Production airbrush · Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators · Production spray booth · and 13 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Blanks
- Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$756
Stencils
- Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$649
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$85
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$240
- Transparent base and reducer$49
- Low-tack masking film$54
- Matte fabric sealer$89
Equipment
- Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes, 0.3 mm$270
- Production airbrush, 0.5 mm, for base fades$95
- Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators$329
- Production spray booth, two fans$289
- Three cap jigs$192
- Cleaning station, respirator and spare cartridges$139
- Cap heat press for curing$279
- Drying rack, 24 caps$65
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
trucker hat · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- mayfly
- mayfly dun
- dry fly
- fly fishing
- trucker hat
- sun rays
- burnt orange
- amber
- backlit
- insect art
- trout fly