Sunset River Eagle Trucker Hat

Wings folded, watching the river below.

A brown eagle on a rock ledge above a winding river at sunset, painted in sandstone tan, slate blue and sunset gold, for days near the water.

A brown eagle perches on a sandstone ledge high above a river that winds through a deep gorge at sunset. The scene is coloured in sandstone tan, rust brown, slate blue water and a sunset gold sky with cream clouds.

Eagle perched on a sandstone ledge
Slate blue river winding through a gorge
Sunset gold sky with cream clouds
Golden nape and cream feather edges
Eleven paint layers, background to highlight

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

A cloth tape measure around the crown of a blank cap

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

An eagle sits on a sunlit ledge, wings tucked, head turned toward the light. Below it, a slate blue river bends through sandstone walls. The sky glows gold behind the far ridges, with cream clouds drifting over the top.

Wear it to the put-in, the trailhead or the tailgate after a long day on the river. From across the parking lot, people see warm rock, a ribbon of water and a bird keeping watch. Up close, they notice the gold on its nape.

Feather layering is the part to get right. Lay the dark umber body first, then pick out each feather edge in cream with a fine line, so the wings read as overlapping shapes and not one brown blob.

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

A cap being spot-cleaned with a soft brush

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, sunset gold, pale teal, slate blue, sandstone tan, rust brown, dark umber, black

Details

Subject: eagle
Style: painterly landscape

Make it yourself

A hat-painting bench with a blank cap, stencils and an airbrush

AdvancedAbout 5 hours at the bench, plus curing11 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 8 colours

The palette

Cream
Sunset gold
Pale teal
Slate blue
Sandstone tan
Rust brown
Dark umber
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 base
Sky glow
Upper sky
Far ridges
Near cliffs
Rock shadows
River
Eagle body
Eagle head
Highlights
Fine detail

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
Sunset gold
3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
Pale teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Slate blue
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Sandstone tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Rust brown
2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
Dark umber
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
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 base — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
cream — a soft wash across the whole sky and the rounded cloud banks
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 · Sky glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sunset gold — a warm band of light low on the horizon behind the far ridges
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sunset 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.
3 · Upper sky — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
pale teal — a gentle fade along the top edge, above the clouds
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Pale teal — 2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift 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 · Far ridges — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — hazy distant walls stacked toward 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.
5 · Near cliffs — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sandstone tan — the tall rock faces on both sides and the ledge under the bird
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sandstone 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.
6 · Rock shadows — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rust brown — vertical clefts, cracks and the shaded sides of the cliffs
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.
7 · River — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — a winding ribbon of water snaking through the gorge floor
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.
8 · Eagle body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
dark umber — the folded wings, back, chest and tail
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Dark umber — 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.
9 · Eagle head — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sunset gold — the golden nape, the beak and the gripping feet
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sunset 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.
10 · Highlights — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
cream — feather edges, sunlit rock tops and bright glints on the river
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Cream — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
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.
11 · Fine detail — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
black — the eye, talons, feather tips and the deepest crevices
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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 full sky area and spray cream as a base, about 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away. These settings are a starting point; test on scrap first.
Keep the sky mask, lower the edge and mist sunset gold along the horizon line at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 12 cm away, building the glow in light passes.
Fade pale teal across the top edge of the sky at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away, letting it melt into the cream.
Mask the far ridge shapes and spray slate blue lightly at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away, keeping them hazy and soft.
Mask the near cliffs and the ledge, then fill with sandstone tan at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 12 cm away.
Use a loose cut mask for the clefts and spray rust brown in short vertical strokes at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm away.
Mask the river path and spray slate blue at 18 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 8 cm away, a little deeper where it bends out of sight.
Mask the eagle silhouette and fill dark umber at 18 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 8 cm away, darker under the wings and tail.
Mask the head, beak and feet, then spray sunset gold at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm away, fading the nape down into the umber.
Freehand cream highlights on feather edges, rock tops and river glints at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 to 4 cm away.
Add black for the eye, talons, feather tips and deepest crevices at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 cm away, with tiny controlled bursts.
Let the paint cure fully per the paint maker's guidance before handling, ideally overnight in a warm, dry room.
Seal with a clear topcoat compatible with your paint in two thin, even coats, letting the first dry before the second.

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 river too bright makes it float on top. Keep it slate blue and save cream for a few small glints only.
Dark umber overspray drifting into the sky muddies the glow. Mask the sky fully before painting the bird.
Too much black flattens the eagle. Use it only for the eye, talons and a few feather tips.
Sealing before the paint has cured can cloud the colours. Give it the full drying time first.

Tips

Build the sunset gold glow in several thin passes; it stays luminous only if the cream underneath still shows through.
Cut the eagle mask from a reference outline at the size you need, so the wing curve and head angle stay true.
Keep the far ridges paler than the near cliffs; the contrast is what gives the gorge its depth.
Practise feather edge lines on scrap at low pressure until each stroke starts and stops cleanly.

An airbrush, compressor, moisture trap, six colour bottles and a cleaning pot. — The kit

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$91

Stencils

Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 11 layers$181

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$482 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$71
Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$81
Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$121

Equipment

Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$1291
Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$241

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

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$7812

Stencils

Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$2991
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$2210 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$1124 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$161
Low-tack masking film$181 roll
Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$281

Equipment

Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$1351
Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$1791
Cap jig and two spare crown forms$641
Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$1491
Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$991
Heat gun for curing$351

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

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$756144

Stencils

Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$6491
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$8550 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$38432 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer$491 gal
Low-tack masking film$543 rolls
Matte fabric sealer$891 gal

Equipment