Dusk River Mayfly Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
Last light, and the wings go up.
A rose-winged mayfly on a mossy rock above an amber river at dusk, in a painterly style for days spent on the water.
A mayfly stands on a mossy river rock at sundown, wings raised against a plum sky. Rose pink wings, a rust brown body and amber water fill the scene, with moss green and crimson at its feet.
- Rose pink mayfly wings with fine veining
- Amber sunset light on a quiet river
- Moss green and crimson on slate rock
- Dusky plum sky over charcoal grass
- Nine colour layers, back to front
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 mayfly perches high on a boulder, legs spread, antennae reaching out. Its wings glow rose pink against a plum sky. Behind it the river catches the last of the sun in amber, and dark grass stands sharp along the far bank.
Wear it to the evening hatch or the drive home after. Up close, people notice the fine veins in the wings and the red lichen tucked in the moss. From across the parking lot, it reads as one warm glow of plum and amber.
Rose pink wings need a dark ground under them. Lay the plum sky and charcoal bank first, then build the wings in thin passes so the veining and the sky behind still show through.
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
- dusky plum, amber glow, charcoal, slate grey, moss green, crimson, rust brown, rose pink
Details
- Subject
- mayfly
- Style
- painterly realism
Make it yourself
The palette
- Dusky plum
- Amber glow
- Charcoal
- Slate grey
- Moss green
- Crimson
- Rust brown
- Rose pink
The layers
9 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Sky
- River
- Far bank
- Rock
- Moss
- Lichen
- Body
- Wings
- 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
Dusky plum
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Amber glow
3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen it
Charcoal
1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
Slate grey
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Moss green
2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden it
Crimson
3 parts red, 1 part blue, a drop of black to deepen it
Rust brown
2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
Rose pink
1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
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
dusky plum — a soft fade across the top and down behind the far bank
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Dusky plum — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
- 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 · River — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
amber glow — sunset light pooled and rippling on the water at the left
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Amber glow — 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 · Far bank — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal — spiky grass silhouettes and dark stones along the shore
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Charcoal — 1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
- 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 · Rock — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate grey — the rounded boulder the insect stands on
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Slate grey — 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.
5 · Moss — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
moss green — cushions of moss across the lower rock
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Moss green — 2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden 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 · Lichen — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
crimson — red tufts tucked among the moss
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.
7 · Body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rust brown — the mayfly's segmented body, thin legs and long antennae
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Rust brown — 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 · Wings — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
rose pink — two upright wings with fine dark veining
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Rose pink — 1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
- 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.
9 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
amber glow — rim light on the wing edges, the eye and the leg joints
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Amber glow — 3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen it
- 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 whole art panel and spray dusky plum across the top, fading downward. Start around 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm distance; treat these as a starting point.
Mask the sky, open the river at the left and lay amber glow in short horizontal strokes for ripples. 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm as a starting point.
Cut a grass-blade stencil for the far bank and mist charcoal for the silhouettes and shore stones. 20 PSI, 0.3 mm, 8 cm to keep the tips crisp.
Mask the boulder shape and spray slate grey, darker at the base. 20 PSI, 0.3 mm, 12 cm as a starting point.
Dab moss green through a torn-edge mask across the lower rock. 18 PSI, 0.3 mm, 6 cm.
Add small crimson tufts among the moss with a loose freehand shield. 15 PSI, 0.2 mm, 5 cm.
Mask the insect silhouette and spray rust brown for the body, legs and antennae, banding the body segments darker. 15 PSI, 0.2 mm, 5 cm as a starting point.
Open the wing mask and build rose pink in two or three thin passes. 15 PSI, 0.2 mm, 8 cm. Add vein lines with a fine slit stencil in rust brown.
Finish with amber glow highlights on the wing edges, eye and leg joints. 12 PSI, 0.2 mm, 4 cm.
Let the paint cure at least 24 hours, then follow the paint maker's heat-set and sealing guidance 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
- Flooding the wings with one heavy coat turns them flat and opaque; build them in light passes instead.
- Spraying moss green too close blobs it into one patch; back off and vary the distance.
- Skipping the dark bank leaves the mayfly floating; lay charcoal before the insect so it has something to sit against.
- Rushing the cure smears fine veins; wait the full time before sealing.
Tips
- Test each colour on scrap fabric first; rose pink shifts a lot depending on what sits under it.
- Keep the antennae and legs to single quick passes so they stay thin and springy.
- Let the amber river bleed slightly into the plum sky at the horizon for a soft sunset seam.
- Cut the wing stencil from a stiff film so the long trailing edges stay clean.
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
Remixed from
- Dusk River Mayfly Trucker Hatyou are here
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“Make it wicked”
trucker hat · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- mayfly
- trout fly
- fly fishing
- dusk
- sunset
- river
- rose pink
- plum
- amber
- moss
- trucker hat
- hatch