Prairie Wildflower Portrait Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
A quiet smile in the tall grass.
A soft, realistic portrait of a girl framed by meadow grasses and seed heads, in sand, ochre and sage green, made to be worn every day.
A girl with shoulder-length brown hair looks out from a meadow of tall grasses and wildflowers. The scene is built from sand, ochre and sage green, with a honey tan face and a cream top.
- A girl's portrait framed in meadow grass
- Sand, ochre and sage green palette
- Chocolate brown hair, cream top
- Burnt umber seed heads and wildflowers
- Eight 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
| 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 girl with brown hair to her shoulders meets your eye with a small, steady smile. Sage grasses and umber seed heads climb up around her, and a warm ochre glow sits behind her like late-season light.
It reads as a keepsake more than a logo. Wear it on the bank of the home creek or to a family cookout, and people will ask who she is before they ask anything else.
Soft-edged shading is what brings the face to life. Build the burnt umber contours in light passes around the eyes and cheeks, then lift the cheekbones and nose with cream at the very end.
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
- sand, ochre, sage green, honey tan, cream, chocolate brown, burnt umber
Details
- Subject
- portrait of a girl in meadow grasses
- Style
- soft realistic portrait
Make it yourself
The palette
- Sand
- Ochre
- Sage green
- Honey tan
- Cream
- Chocolate brown
- Burnt umber
The layers
8 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Ground
- Meadow glow
- Grasses
- Face and neck
- Top
- Hair
- Shading
- 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
Sand
4 parts white, 1 part yellow, a drop of brown; a drop of green for khaki
Ochre
2 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a drop of black
Sage green
2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
Honey tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Cream
White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
Chocolate brown
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
Burnt umber
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
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
sand — a warm base fade across the whole panel
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Sand — 4 parts white, 1 part yellow, a drop of brown; a drop of green for khaki
- 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 · Meadow glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
ochre — a soft halo behind the head and a deeper wash along the lower edge
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Ochre — 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a drop of black
- 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 · Grasses — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sage green — stems, leaves and grass blades rising up both sides and across the bottom
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 · Face and neck — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
honey tan — the skin of the face, neck and collarbone
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Honey 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.
5 · Top — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
cream — the light top and its neckline
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour 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.
6 · Hair — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
chocolate brown — shoulder-length hair framing the face
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Chocolate 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.
7 · Shading — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
burnt umber — eyes, brows, lips, cheek contours, seed heads and the darkest grass
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Burnt umber — 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.
8 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
cream — light on the cheeks, nose, hair and the tips of the flower heads
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Cream — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
- 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 nothing; spray sand over the whole panel as an even base. Start around 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away. These settings are a starting point; test on scrap first.
Mask the face oval loosely; mist ochre behind the head and along the lower edge at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10–12 cm away, letting it fade upward.
Use a grass-blade stencil or freehand shield; lay sage green stems and leaves up both sides and across the bottom at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–8 cm away.
Cut a mask for the face, neck and collarbone; fill with honey tan at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 8 cm away, in two thin coats.
Mask the top shape below the neck; spray cream at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm away until it covers cleanly.
Mask around the hair outline; build chocolate brown in strand-direction passes at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–8 cm away, leaving a few gaps for later shine.
Freehand or with a small shield, add burnt umber to eyes, brows, lips, cheek contours, seed heads and grass shadows at 10–12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–5 cm away.
Finish with cream highlights on cheeks, nose, hair and flower tips at 10 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–4 cm away, using tiny dots and short strokes.
Let the paint cure for at least 24 hours at room temperature, away from dust.
Seal with two light coats of a flexible, fabric-safe clear sealer, letting each coat dry fully before the next.
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
- Hard edges around the face make it look pasted on. Lift the mask slightly or switch to a loose shield for the last pass.
- Spraying the eyes too close floods them with spidery lines. Drop the pressure and back off a few centimetres.
- Heavy cream highlights turn chalky. Add them last, small and sparse, and stop sooner than feels right.
- Sealing too early traps solvent and clouds the colours. Wait the full cure time before any clear coat.
Tips
- Work the face from a reference printed at the panel's real size so the eyes land in the right place.
- Keep a scrap swatch of each colour beside you; skin tones shift a lot between wet and dry.
- Lay the grass blades so they overlap the edge of the hair slightly; it settles the figure into the meadow.
- Thin the burnt umber more than you think for facial shading; many faint passes look more natural than one dark one.
Every kit size
Trucker · kit for 1 hat
$224
Bought separately $249 · 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 — 8 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$42
- 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
$1,073
$89.42 a hat
Bought separately $1,220 · you save $147
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$98
- 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
$3,124
$21.69 a hat
Bought separately $3,676 · you save $552
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$336
- 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
How it was made
1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked
1 Saved
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“Make a hat inspired by the attached image.”
trucker hat · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- portrait
- meadow
- wildflowers
- grasses
- seed heads
- sage green
- ochre
- brown hair
- keepsake
- trucker hat