Smiley Face Custom Painted Helmet

Smiley Face Custom Painted Helmet

This wild and wacky smiley face custom painted helmet is one of the most unique designs I’ve ever created and haven’t ever seen anything as nuts as it ever before or since. It’s a custom painted Shoei helmet made for one of my best friends Bill from Las Vegas, NV, and it features some of the wildest themes we’ve ever airbrushed. Bill WAS a longtime fan of my work, and this was his fourth or fifth custom Shoei helmet I painted for him. But unfortunately the last helmet, after he was murdered in his driveway by his girlfriend with a shotgun to the back…   But anyways,  this helmet… It’s in a league of its own. Just like Aaron “Bill” was.    The theme, the details, and the crazy ideas he wanted to include make it one of the most intricate custom painted helmets I’ve ever seen hands down.  I still don’t know how I did half the shi*tt on there…

Bill wanted the front of the custom painted street helmet to include his signature Smiley Watchman face, a look he’s known for. But this time, he had a twist in mind. Instead of the usual smiley, he asked us to make the face more extreme—beaten, scratched, and filled with raw emotion. Using helmet airbrushing, we added every tiny detail to make the Smiley face pop with character. The texture of the scratches, the depth of the shadows, and the raw energy of the expression all came together to make the design stand out, bloody, gory and all.

The sides and back of the Street Bike custom Helmet are where things get really wild. Wild Bill gave me a huge list of ideas that seemed almost impossible to combine, but with careful planning and creative helmet painting, I made it happen. On back, I airbrushed Zeus battling a dark angel or demon. The powerful strokes and glowing effects bring the scene to life. On one side, I painted a scene of Chuck Norris standing strong amidst chaos with a huge machine gun from one of Aaron’s favorite movies, the top of the helmet, Stalin rising from a mushroom cloud, referencing Order 227.

And the left side… That’s where it gets even crazier and more twisted. Bill wanted Clint Eastwood from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly choking out Stewie from Family Guy, all while holding a bottle of Wild Turkey whiskey. All of these elements of this custom airbrushed street helmet required crazy precision. Each character had to be instantly recognizable, and every one of them were tiny to fit everything on the small Shoei canvas, plus the humorous yet intense scene had to balance perfectly with the rest of the helmet.

Every part of this custom painted motorcycle helmet was done using 100% paint—no vinyl, no shortcuts. The detail in the airbrushing was unbelievable.  Even to me, from the realistic expressions on the characters to the glowing effects in the Zeus scene. Each layer of paint was carefully applied to make sure the colors were vibrant and the scenes flowed seamlessly across entire lid.  Aaron had so many people see it, and not understand all of the detail an nonsense there was incorporated, nor did they understand how it could all be painted by hand so tiny to fit it all in.  That was Aaron.  That was Aaron’s mind.  This helmet, as well as the motorcycle I painted for him, both great reflections of how his brain worked, and how complex and precise he was every day.

This custom painted helmet wasn’t just a piece of gear—it was work of art, that only Aaron could have thought up. It’s the kind of custom painted street helmet that grabs attention wherever it goes. The combination of humor, action, and epic themes makes it unforgettable. Bill’s ideas pushed me to create something truly one-of-a-kind, will probably never do anything like it again, as there will never be another Aaron Matthews.  He died much MUCH too early.

What makes this custom helmet painting the most special was that it was Aaron’s. Every stroke of paint, every shadow, and every highlight was done with care for him. The custom helmet airbrushing allowed me to add depth and realism to each scene, making the characters and designs feel alive. Whether it’s the intense gaze of Clint Eastwood, the dramatic battle of Zeus, or the dead quirky humor of Stewie, every detail tells a story.

This custom airbrushed street helmet is proof that no idea is too wild for a custom painted helmet. If you can imagine it, I can make it a reality. Bill’s helmet was truly one I would like to get back.  Probably had more time into that helmet than any other helmet I’ve ever painted.  R.I.P. Aaron Matthews.   Love ya brother…  I hope Kathy is forever haunted.