Meet Mike Fisher of West San Fernando Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Fisher.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The current focus of my art career is once again Ice Hockey goalie masks. I tend to have to move from the music business design, to Hollywood production graphics etc… But for now Goalie masks are the core focus.

I first started to paint them in the early 90’s when I was coaching youth goalies. After I moved to Los Angeles I didn’t have a place to paint so I stopped. In 2012 One of the kids I painted masks for in the 90’s had a son start playing and he asked me if I could paint him a mask.

From there that turned into a full time business for a decade. I ran that as my core business until 2018 when I started doing more Hollywood work. I’m back at it full time again with the Hollywood production slow downs over the last few years.

I am one of the only (maybe only) full time mask painter in California. I paint for everyone from kids, Jr goalies, Beer League players, College goalies all the way up to professionals. It seems like a strange and crazy niche job, especially here in California but it’s actually a large global market and has a lot of varied and talented artists all over the world. I’m honored to be among them. I stay busy year round.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was a very rough road learning the core aspects of painting goalie masks. You don’t just sit down with a white mask and an airbrush and get to it. Lol. It follows the same process as painting a car. It has to be durable, as a goalie mask has a very tough job !

I had a very extensive graphic design and illustration background so a lot of that was an already a mastered skillset. I really had to spend a lot of hours learning how to properly use an airbrush and all of the tools that go along with custom paint work. I went to classes, workshops and watched a lot of Youtube to learn.

The process starts with a digital design in Photoshop based on the customers ideas and needs.
Then tear down, taping, sanding, primer on the fiberglass shell just to start which is about an hour or two work.
While that is going on I work on the computer in Adobe Illustrator to create all of the stencils that will be cut on a vinyl plotter and placed on the helmet for paint masks.
From there is a lot of taping, airbrushing and re-taping and more airbrushing. I joke that I put on and remove tape for a living
Final step is a full automotive clear coat to protect the paintjob.

Each mask takes between 20 and 40 hours from start to finish

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My career has spanned quite a few areas of the design and art world. I made my first real strides creating artwork for bands. Album covers, T-shirt designs, tour merch and particularly screen printed concert posters.

My work in the Rock Poster world is featured in numerous books on the artform and my work has hung in the Grammy museum here in Los Angeles.

I was in video games for 15 years as an Animator/ Senior Artist/ Art director.

I have done a lot of work as a member of the Art Directors Guild here in Hollywood and my graphic design has been in 100s of commercials and films such as Palm Springs and the Valet.

I’ve also worked in the toys industry designing graphics for figures and toy cars such as the re-introduced Micromachines line.

I also paint for my own pleasure but have had my paintings shown in galleries all over the country

How do you define success?
Success? That’s an easy one for me. Every single day I can work for myself doing what I am meant to do is a successful day, month, year….life

Pricing:

• My goalie mask work ranges from $800 to $1500
• Graphic design and illustration is priced by the project

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maxfloindustries.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxfloindustries
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaxfloIndustries
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/maximumfluoride

Image Credits
Image: MaxfloIndustries