Pebblebed Brown Trout Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
Holding low, just above the stones.
A naturalistic underwater painting of a brown trout over pebbles and weed, in golden ochre, olive and sage on cream, for days spent on the river.
A brown trout cruises low over a pebbled streambed, weed swaying beside it and bubbles drifting up toward the surface. Golden ochre flanks with black and rust red spots sit over olive stones, sage green weed and a pale aqua wash on cream.
- Brown trout over an olive pebble streambed
- Golden ochre flanks with black and red spots
- Sage green weed and climbing white bubbles
- Pale aqua water on a cream ground
- Naturalistic underwater painting 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 brown trout hangs in clear water, nose into the current. Its golden flanks are dotted black and rust red. Below sit round olive stones, to the right a tuft of sage weed, and above, a thin ripple where the water meets the air, with bubbles climbing toward it.
Wear it to the riverbank, the boat ramp or the coffee line before a long drive. From across a room it reads as warm gold on cream. Up close, people lean in to count the spots.
Rust red spotting is the detail to get right. Each red dot sits inside a pale halo on the golden flank, so spray it small and soft, then let the black spots carry the pattern around it.
The water it was painted from
White RiverOzarks, North Arkansas · AR
- River
- White River, Ozarks, North Arkansas
- States
- AR
- Fish
- Brown trout, Rainbow trout, Cutthroat trout
- Water type
- Tailwater
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, pale aqua, sage green, olive, brown, golden ochre, rust red, black, white
Details
- Subject
- brown trout
- Style
- naturalistic underwater painting
Make it yourself
The palette
- Cream
- Pale aqua
- Sage green
- Olive
- Brown
- Golden ochre
- Rust red
- Black
- White
The layers
9 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Ground
- Water
- Weed
- Streambed
- Shadow
- Trout
- Red spots
- Dark 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
Pale aqua
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Sage green
2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
Olive
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Brown
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
Golden ochre
2 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a drop of black
Rust red
2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
Black
Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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 · Ground — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
cream — the open field framing the whole scene
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 · Water — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
pale aqua — a soft wash beneath a wavy surface line
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Pale aqua — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
- 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 · Weed — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sage green — tall fronds swaying at the right edge
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sage green — 2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull 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.
4 · Streambed — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
olive — rounded pebbles along the bottom
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Olive — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm 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.
5 · Shadow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
brown — shade between stones and along the trout's back
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Brown — Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
- 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 · Trout — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
golden ochre — the belly, flanks and spread fins
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Golden ochre — 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a drop of black
- 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 · Red spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rust red — small haloed spots along the flank
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Rust red — 2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
- 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.
8 · Dark detail — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
black — spots, eye, jaw line and the surface ripple
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
- 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.
9 · Highlight — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
white — bubbles, the eye glint and a gleam on the side
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 the outer edge of the design area and lay down cream as an even base. Starting point: 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 15–20 cm away. Let it dry fully.
Cut a mask along the wavy surface line and fill the water zone with a light pale aqua wash, heavier near the top. Starting point: 18 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 10–15 cm.
Freehand or mask the weed fronds at the right and spray sage green in upward strokes. Starting point: 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 5–8 cm.
Mask the pebble shapes along the bottom and fill with olive, leaving thin cream gaps between stones. Starting point: 18 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8–10 cm.
Shade under each pebble and in the weed base with brown, then lay a soft brown line along the trout's back once its mask is cut. Starting point: 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 5 cm.
Cover the background with a trout-shaped mask cut out and spray golden ochre over the body and fins, building it deeper along the back. Starting point: 18 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8–10 cm.
Dot rust red spots along the lower flank with a fine round stencil or freehand. Starting point: 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–3 cm.
Add black spots across the upper flank, the eye, jaw line, fin edges and the surface ripple. Starting point: 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–4 cm.
Finish with white: bubbles in a loose column, a glint in the eye and a soft gleam along the side. Starting point: 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–3 cm.
These settings are a starting point; test each on scrap first. Let everything dry, then cure and seal following your paint maker's directions.
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
- Flooding the red spots so they run into the ochre. Drop pressure, move in close and use short bursts.
- Lifting the trout mask before the ochre is dry, which smears the edge. Wait, then peel slowly at a low angle.
- Painting pebbles one flat colour. Add brown shade under each stone so they sit on the bottom.
- Overdoing the white gleam until the trout looks wet plastic. One soft pass is enough.
Tips
- Keep the trout's back darker than its belly; that one gradient does most of the work of making it look round.
- Vary spot sizes slightly and cluster them toward the back. Even rows look like a pattern, not a fish.
- Let the pale aqua fade out before it reaches the pebbles so the stones sit in clear, shallow water.
- Spray bubbles smaller as they near the bottom so the column reads as climbing.
Every kit size
Trucker · kit for 1 hat
$229
Bought separately $255 · you save $26
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 — 9 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$48
- 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
$1,085
$90.42 a hat
Bought separately $1,234 · you save $149
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$112
- 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
$3,165
$21.98 a hat
Bought separately $3,724 · you save $559
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$384
- 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.
- brown trout
- trout
- fly fishing
- trucker hat
- underwater
- streambed
- pebbles
- river
- fishing hat
- naturalistic
- golden
- olive