How to Paint a Goalie Mask

Not all types of hockey masks can be painted. Only paint those that are made of fiberglass or Kevlar-reinforced fiberglass. Take off anything that will detach such as the straps that hold the helmet on your head.

Take out the lining that is held in by some kind of strap and cover the inside of the helmet with masking tape. If your hockey helmet does not have lining that comes attached, just tape over the inside.

Sand the hockey helmet using 400-grit sandpaper. Never use an electric sander because you could sand off too much material. You only want to sand off the top glossy layer.

Clean the mask with rubbing alcohol. You might find some extra spots that need to be sanded after cleaning it.

Set the hockey goalie mask on a stand or table. The ideal process will allow you to paint all sides of the helmet without needing to pick it up. Start by airbrushing a base coat in black or white.

Paint the background colors, then use a hair dryer to dry the paint. After it is dry, cover the goalie mask with masking tape and draw the design you want.

Use an exacto knife to cut out the design. Do not put too much pressure on the exacto knife.

Airbrush your next layer of paint. If you have a very detailed design, then this will be a long process because you will have to tape the helmet and cut out a stencil for every part of the design that is a different color. Always start with bottom layers and work your way up to the top.

Remove all the tape from the outside and apply a clear-coat finish.

After the final coat is dry, remove the tape from the inside and reattach the lining, straps and anything else you took off at the beginning.