Backlit Mayfly Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
Wings up, sun behind, tails trailing
A painterly mayfly with veined wings and long tails against a sky-blue to amber glow, for wearing on the water and off it.
A mayfly drifts in front of a golden burst of light, its veined wings raised and its long tails trailing out behind. The scene is coloured in sky blue, golden amber and tan, with sepia brown for the insect and white glints on its wings.
- Mayfly with veined wings and long tails
- Golden amber glow behind the wings
- Sky blue fading down to tan
- White glints on wing edges
- Realistic painterly illustration style
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 hangs in warm light. Its wings stand tall and clear, every vein traced in sepia brown, and the sun spreads golden amber out behind them. Sky blue fades in from the top, and a low tan band settles in underneath like far-off ground.
Wear it to the river at the end of the day or to the diner after. People see the insect first, then the glow, and the ones who fish will know exactly which hour you mean.
Sepia brown wing veins are the part to get right. Keep the lines thin and leave plenty of the glow showing between them, so the wings read as see-through rather than solid.
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
- sky blue, golden amber, tan, warm cream, sepia brown, white
Details
- Subject
- mayfly
- Style
- realistic painterly illustration
Make it yourself
The palette
- Sky blue
- Golden amber
- Tan
- Warm cream
- Sepia brown
- White
The layers
6 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Sky
- Glow
- Horizon
- Haze
- Mayfly
- Highlights
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
Sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Golden amber
3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen it
Tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Warm cream
White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
Sepia brown
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
White
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
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 · Sky — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
sky blue — a soft fade across the top, deepest at the upper edge
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Sky blue — 1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
- 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 sunburst spreading out from behind the wings
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 · Horizon — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
tan — a low, hazy band along the bottom of the scene
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Tan — 3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
- 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 · Haze — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
warm cream — faint rays and a halo where the glow meets the sky
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Warm cream — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
- 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 · Mayfly — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
sepia brown — the segmented body, thin legs, two long tails and the wing veins
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.
6 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
white — glints on the wing edges, the thorax and the tail tips
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour 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 everything outside the front design area. Spray sky blue across the top at about 20 PSI with a 0.3 mm needle from 15 cm, fading it downward. These settings are a starting point; test first.
Cut a loose circular mask centred behind where the wings will sit. Spray golden amber outward from the centre at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10–12 cm, letting it blend into the blue.
Mask the upper two thirds. Lay tan along the bottom in a soft horizontal band at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm. Keep the top edge feathered.
Freehand warm cream rays out from the glow at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–8 cm. Add a light halo where amber meets blue.
Apply the mayfly stencil. Spray sepia brown for the body, legs and tails at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm, building the body segments darker toward the rear.
Use a wing-vein stencil or a fine freehand line for the veins in sepia brown at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–4 cm. Keep the wing panels mostly clear.
Add white highlights on the leading wing edges, thorax and tail tips at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–3 cm. Small dots and short strokes only.
Let the paint air dry for at least an hour, then heat set with a heat press or hair dryer per your paint maker's guidance.
Finish with a light coat of fabric-safe sealer and allow it to cure fully before wearing.
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
- Filling the wings solid with sepia brown. Paint only the veins and leave the panels open so the light shows through.
- Hard edge on the sun glow. Lift the mask slightly off the surface or spray freehand so it feathers.
- Too much white. Highlights work as small accents; stop before the wings look chalky.
- Skipping the heat set. Paint can crack or fade later, so cure it fully before sealing.
Tips
- Build the glow in thin passes. Golden amber gets muddy fast if it lands too heavy over the blue.
- Spray the wing veins last among the dark layers so you can see the glow behind them while you place each line.
- Taper the tails by pulling the brush away as you reach the tips. They should thin to nothing.
- Practise the segmented body on paper first; a few rhythmic bands read better than many fussy ones.
Every kit size
Trucker · kit for 1 hat
$218
Bought separately $243 · you save $25
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 — 6 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$36
- 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
$1,061
$88.42 a hat
Bought separately $1,206 · you save $145
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$84
- 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
$3,083
$21.41 a hat
Bought separately $3,628 · you save $545
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$288
- 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
- trucker hat
- fly fishing
- dry fly
- golden light
- sunset
- sky blue
- amber
- insect
- painterly
- hatch
- trout stream