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At long last, the Gallian Orator goalie mask is finished. This is officially the first goalie mask ever made with a Parallel theme and the final result is a beautiful piece of functional art.
This project started back in August when I chose Robert Howell from SunGod Graphics as my mask artist. Robert is a fellow goaltender and a good friend of mine, so I know how hard he works on his airbrushing craft. He is currently the mask artist for Pheonix Copley, who is having a breakout season with the Los Angeles Kings.
Parallel has been a huge part of my life over the past two years, so the decision to pay them homage on my new goalie mask was a no-brainer. Deciding on the card, however, was not easy.
As a Shroud maxi since Day 1, I was initially looking at Reality Manipulator, Niamh, and Honored Steward. But since my current pads are silver and baby blue, I went with a Kathari card instead. “Look good, feel good, play good” is a popular mantra in the goalie world, so I followed suit with a card that included silver, blue, and white.
Once an artist receives a new helmet, they work with the goalie to conceptualize a design before any painting begins. This “mockup” can take a few days or a few weeks, depending on the scope of the work and the goalie’s unique requests.
Getting the mockup from Robert didn’t take long because the card art meshed so seamlessly with the shape of the mask. As you can see below, the layout made a lot of sense, without being too cramped or looking too busy.
I went with a fade to black and some simple lines in order to blend the lower portion with the top part of my black jersey. It also makes the actual card art “pop” even more against the rest of the mask.
Upon review of the digital mockup, I only made two changes. One was to include a Lift The Mask logo on the backplate. Lift The Mask is a mental health program for goalies run through my non-profit foundation, The Goalie Guild. Then I removed the “G” logos on either side of the chin in order to make the entire design even cleaner.
Pro-level goalie masks are made of carbon and Kevlar composites that are woven together in layers. The process of constructing a mask is pretty advanced these days, but they are essentially military-grade protective helmets.
In order for airbrush paint to hold properly, however, the mask first needs to be sanded, prepped, and primed. After the actual painting is complete, a clear coat is applied to protect it from getting damaged.
As you can see by these progress photos and the finished mask below, Robert absolutely crushed it.
Overall, I’m absolutely in love with the way it turned out. It’s full of symmetry and symbolism.
To me, the Gallian Orator is a symbol of Kathari power, influence, and enhanced perception. His arcane wisdom is a reflection of the rise of the Kathari people. It also speaks to their evolved civilization and their struggle to survive under the surface of Europa. The Orators exude power and influence when they speak, but even in complete silence, they still demand your attention.
And let’s be perfectly honest. It also just looks completely badass!
What makes this whole project even cooler is that the Parallel universe itself is full of masks and helmets.
From the Earthen Kamuy Protector and Grove Guardian to the collection of Marcolian helmets and the Planetary Ambition collectible card backs, protective headgear is scattered throughout. All of them are full of little details, and all of them showcase the sheer precarious and deadly nature of the inevitable battle for Earth.
What makes the mask so symbolic to the goaltender is that it protects us from harm and also gives us a rare chance to express ourselves. We spend a lot of time behind the mask hiding our true identity, so showing off a little bit of our personality has a lot of meaning.
Similar to warriors of old, once you put on a goalie mask, it’s like the flip of a light switch. You transform into a “battle-ready” mode where your mind is overflowing with adrenaline as you prepare to take on the enemy.
Every time I step on the ice, I’m entering dangerous terrain and willingly putting myself directly into the line of fire. I need a helmet that not only protects me but will also intimidate the opposition.
If you’re not a huge hockey fan, I suggest checking out some of the top current NHL goalie masks. The designs are simply amazing and include all types of creatures, beasts, demons, and many other team-related themes.
To wrap a bow on this project, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite mask-themed cards from the base deck.
In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to Kalos and the entire Parallel team for granting me permission to complete this project. I would also like to thank artist Sasha Vinogradova for inspiring me with her incredible designs in the first place. Lastly, I want to thank my friend Robert for absolutely crushing it with his airbrushing skills.
Like all of my goalie masks, I will take impeccable care of this one and cherish it forever!