Aspen Cutthroat Trout Trucker Hat
by @sunny
Gold leaves, cold water, one cutthroat.
A Yellowstone cutthroat trout over a blue river, snowy peaks and gold aspens, in a painterly landscape style, made for days on the water.
A Yellowstone cutthroat trout glides across a blue mountain river, with snowy peaks and gold aspen groves behind it. The fish is golden yellow with a sunset orange belly, crimson jaw marks and black spots thickening toward the tail.
- Golden yellow cutthroat with orange belly
- Crimson slash beneath the jaw
- Black spots thickening toward the tail
- Snowy slate blue peaks behind
- Gold aspen groves on green banks
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 cutthroat hangs in clear blue water, golden from nose to tail, its belly glowing orange. Black spots gather near the tail. Behind it, aspens turn gold on green banks and a slate blue range wears fresh snow.
It feels like the first cold week of autumn, when the river drops and the leaves go bright. Wear it on the bank, at the fly shop, or on a road trip west. People will see the fish first, then the mountains.
Crimson is a small layer with a big job. Keep the jaw slash thin and sharp under the gill plate, so the fish reads as a cutthroat from across the room.
The water it was painted from
Yellowstone RiverParadise Valley, Montana · MT, WY
- River
- Yellowstone River, Paradise Valley, Montana
- States
- MT, WY
- Fish
- Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Brown trout, Rainbow trout
- Water type
- Freestone
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
- pale sky blue, slate blue, snow white, aspen gold, meadow green, river blue, golden yellow, sunset orange, crimson, spot black
Details
- Subject
- Yellowstone cutthroat trout
- Style
- painterly landscape
Make it yourself
The palette
- Pale sky blue
- Slate blue
- Snow white
- Aspen gold
- Meadow green
- River blue
- Golden yellow
- Sunset orange
- Crimson
- Spot black
The layers
11 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Sky
- Mountains
- Snow
- Groves
- Banks
- Water
- Trout body
- Belly and fins
- Accents
- Spots and outline
- 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
Pale sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Slate blue
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Snow white
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
Aspen gold
3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
Meadow green
1 part yellow to 1 part blue; more yellow for a warm green, more blue for a cool one
River blue
Primary blue, a drop of white to lighten it, a drop of black to deepen it; build it in thin coats
Golden yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Sunset orange
1 part red to 2 parts yellow
Crimson
3 parts red, 1 part blue, a drop of black to deepen it
Spot black
Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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
pale sky blue — a soft fade with thin cloud wisps across the top
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Pale 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 · Mountains — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — a jagged range along the horizon
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Slate blue — White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
- 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 · Snow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
snow white — caps and ridgelines on the peaks
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Snow 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.
4 · Groves — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
aspen gold — clusters of trees on both banks
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Aspen gold — 3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
- 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 · Banks — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
meadow green — grassy banks and the river's edges
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Meadow green — 1 part yellow to 1 part blue; more yellow for a warm green, more blue for a cool 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.
6 · Water — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
river blue — the wide river with soft ripples under the fish
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour River blue — Primary blue, a drop of white to lighten it, a drop of black to deepen it; build it in thin coats
- 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.
7 · Trout body — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
golden yellow — the full body of the trout
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Golden yellow — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
- 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.
8 · Belly and fins — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sunset orange — the belly flush, gill plate and fins
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sunset 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.
9 · Accents — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
crimson — the jaw slash and fin edges
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Crimson — 3 parts red, 1 part blue, 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.
10 · Spots and outline — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
spot black — the spots, eye, mouth and body outline
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Spot 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.
11 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
snow white — eye glint, scale sheen and sparkles on the water
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Snow 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 art panel and spray pale sky blue across the top in a soft fade. Start around 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 15 cm away; treat all settings here as a starting point.
Lay the mountain mask and spray slate blue along the horizon at 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, about 10 cm away. Let it flash dry.
Using the snowcap stencil, mist snow white on peaks and ridges at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm away. Keep it light so the blue shows through the shadows.
Mask the tree line and dab aspen gold into grove shapes on both banks at 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 8 to 10 cm away.
Spray meadow green on the banks and river edges at 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 10 cm away, overlapping the base of the groves slightly.
Cover the land and spray river blue across the water at 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 12 cm away. Drift lighter passes to suggest ripples.
Place the trout mask and fill golden yellow over the whole body at 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 10 cm away. Build two thin coats for a solid glow.
With the belly and fin stencil, spray sunset orange along the underside, gill plate and fins at 16 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 8 cm away, fading up into the gold.
Add crimson to the jaw slash and fin edges at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 5 cm away. Keep lines narrow.
Use the spot stencil and spray spot black for spots, eye, mouth and outline at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 4 to 5 cm away. Pack spots closer toward the tail.
Finish with snow white highlights on the eye, scale sheen and water sparkles at 12 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 4 cm away.
Let the piece air dry for 24 hours, then heat set according to your paint's instructions.
Seal with a thin, even clear topcoat and let it 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
- Spraying the black spots too far away gives fuzzy dots. Move in close and drop the pressure.
- Heavy crimson makes the jaw look like a wound. Use one thin pass and stop.
- Lifting the trout mask before the paint flashes smears gold into the water. Wait until it looks matte.
- Painting the river before the banks leaves blue under the green. Work background to foreground as listed.
Tips
- Test each colour on scrap first; golden yellow can turn muddy over blue if the mask leaks.
- Fade sunset orange upward into the gold rather than stopping it at a hard line; the belly looks rounder.
- Vary spot sizes slightly so the pattern looks natural, not stamped.
- Keep the snow white highlights few and small; three or four bright points do more than a dozen.
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 — 11 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.
- cutthroat trout
- yellowstone cutthroat
- trout
- fly fishing
- trucker hat
- mountain river
- aspen
- autumn
- snowy peaks
- golden trout art
- western river
- fishing hat