There's nothing quite like a motorcycle helmet design that speaks to you, is there? If you haven't had it happen yet, don't worry. Keep looking around, and you will. Or maybe you need to hasten the process and get the custom design of your dreams applied to your favorite helmet.
Take, for example, the absolutely unparalleled work that Malaysian artist AbsLee Designs does on seemingly every helmet she touches. She is, she says, one artist, working solo on all kinds of motorsport-related helmets. Her YouTube channel gives great insight into her process, and it's a great place to watch a talented artist do what she does best.
What's she up to this time? It's a beautiful mystical koi design on an HJC RPHA 1 for a customer in Hong Kong. One thing that Lee has to consider carefully with each design is how she's going to incorporate all the individual bits and pieces that are specific to each helmet model.
In the case of the RPHA 1, you have a choice of a large spoiler or a smaller spoiler in the rear, so any custom paint design has to take both pieces into account. No worries; Lee knows what she's doing, as you'll see in this video.
It starts out almost simply, but there are layers upon layers to Lee's work here. First, she has to remove all the individual pieces that need to come off before she can start masking and painting. All in all, there are 14 pieces to this helmet that must be accounted for, including spoilers, vents, and everything else.
The first layers are airbrushed on, establishing a solid background upon which Lee can begin realizing the main sakura and koi designs featured on this helmet. The customer's chosen number also must go on the back, but that won't come until the very end.
One thing to note: Lee doesn't use stickers or decals. Once the airbrushed base coats are down, she hand-paints all the details that you see in the finished helmet. I don't know if you've ever had the chance to watch a master pinstriper at work, but seeing someone exercise unbelievable line control to freehand gorgeous, flowing designs, and add in the complication of a curved surface like what you'll find on a helmet is pretty astonishing to witness.
There's no real dialogue in this video; instead, you get ambient sounds and a music bed, so it's also not a true ASMR video (if that's your thing). All in all, it's pretty mesmerizing if you're a fan of seeing someone else's artistic process play out before your very eyes.
Here's to putting more beauty into the world in 2025. May we all do the same. Cheers to all RideApart readers, everywhere!
