GTA VI Mural Artist Answers Questions About the Project
One of the artists working on a massive Grand Theft Auto VI mural has shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the project, revealing how the artwork is created, how long it takes to complete, and why it may disappear before the game is even released.
Posting on Reddit under the username Omfish, the artist responded to questions from GTA fans after appearing in a video showing the mural being painted. The discussion revealed that the project is being carried out through Colossal, a company specialising in hand-painted outdoor advertisements, and that the artists are working long days to complete the enormous design.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Omfish explained that the mural is only a temporary advertisement and will likely be painted over with an entirely different campaign before GTA VI launches on November 19.
Working on the GTA VI Mural
Omfish first joined the discussion after spotting themselves in a video of the mural being painted.
"Hey, I made it on reddit haha"
When another user asked whether anyone involved in this type of work could explain the process, how long the projects take and what working with clients is like, Omfish confirmed their involvement.
Question: "Anyone that does stuff like this for a living able to give any commentary on things? How long do these take, what's it like, how does the process of working with clients work?"
"Im in this video. Takes 1-2 weeks of 8-10hr days"
Asked when the mural was expected to be completed, Omfish revealed that the team was aiming to finish by Friday, October 9, provided everything went according to plan.
Question: "When's it set to be finished?"
"Friday, if we can lock in 🤞"
How Colossal Secured the GTA VI Project
Another Reddit user asked whether the artists knew they would be working on a Rockstar Games project and whether the commission came directly from Rockstar or through a third-party agency.
Omfish explained that the company they work with specialises in hand-painted advertisements and had previously been involved in advertising for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Given that history, the team was particularly interested in securing the GTA VI project.
Question: "Amazing! Did you know you were going to be getting a rockstar contract and did you work with them directly, or is this done through a third party agency that contracted you?"
"I work for a company that does all handpainted ads and we did some of these for San Andreas so we deff wanted to make sure we got to do this one. I didnt know I was going to be the one to paint it until last week though 😅"
Later in the discussion, Omfish confirmed that this particular mural was being produced through Colossal, although they personally work as a freelance muralist.
Question: "Is it Colossal? Been impressed by a few of theirs I've seen. Nice work, you're an artiste."
"I personally am freelance muralist but yes, this particular one im on is through Colossal"
Meet the Artists Behind the Mural
Omfish also shared their Instagram account and identified three fellow artists working on the GTA VI mural.
Question: "Drop the insta!"
"@Omf1sh is my Instagram. Im also here with @birntoutstudio @m__ortiz and @ianpotterpaints"
The artists can be found on Instagram at @Omf1sh, @birntoutstudio, @m__ortiz and @ianpotterpaints.
The Artists' Reaction to Working on GTA VI
Despite the enormous anticipation surrounding GTA VI, Omfish admitted that they had never personally played the series. However, their coworkers were particularly excited to be involved, and Omfish enjoys painting advertisements for video games because of the interesting artwork.
The artist also expressed surprise at the amount of attention the project had attracted from fans.
Question: "Nice work you guys are doing! Absolutely love it
How was the reaction upon hearing that Rockstar commissioned you guys?"
"My coworkers were super excited because they love these games. I never played but I love painting video games because theyre really fun artwork. Ive watched playthroughs so I knew what to expect but did NOT expect how much ppl are excited about what im painting haha usually only my friends care what im working on 😅"
Responding to Fans and Sharing Progress
Omfish also responded to some of the lighter comments in the discussion, including a sarcastic complaint about the appearance of the GTA VI logo while the mural was still being painted.
Comment: "Bro you guys really butchered that logo like wtf
/s
You people are something else. I thought "/s" meant sarcasm. Not serious."
"We didnt paint the logo yet, just the blend and rough location of letters"
When another fan requested daily progress updates, Omfish said they would try to keep the community informed.
Comment: "Daily posts pls🙌🏽"
"Ill do my best to post progress"
Another Reddit user described GTA VI as potentially the biggest media release in history, praising the artwork and predicting that fans would continue to admire the team's efforts.
Comment: "This is, without exaggeration, the biggest media release of human history so far. No joke. Bigger than any movie or book that ever released. Expect a lot of fans to admire your art (which looks awesome by the way) :D"
"Thank you!! Appreciate all the support"
The GTA VI Mural May Disappear Before Launch
One of the most interesting revelations concerned the mural's lifespan. Despite the time and effort involved in creating the enormous advertisement, Omfish confirmed that it is not intended to be permanent.
In fact, the artist suggested that it could be painted over before GTA VI is released on November 19, explaining that these types of advertisements typically remain in place for approximately one month.
Question: "Is it permanent or will the colors go away after some months?"
"Oh this is NOT permanent at all. This will be gone probably before the release date tbh. We paint full time so these ads stay up a month or so."
Importantly, the mural will not simply fade away or deteriorate because of the weather. Omfish explained that the artists use heavy-duty outdoor enamel paint designed to withstand rain and other conditions.
Instead, the existing artwork will eventually be covered by another advertisement.
Question: "rain will wash it away or something? Or chip away?
Also, what if it rains in the middle of your work, do you start over?"
"No, this is heavy duty outdoor enamel paint meant to withstand rain, once its dry its staying put. But it wont last because we will paint over it in a month and something new will be there!
When it rains during the process we keep going or if its bad, stop until the storm passes then pick up where we left off and fix anything the rain messed up."
What Happens to All Those Layers of Paint?
With advertisements regularly painted over one another, a Reddit user jokingly wondered what would happen to the building after hundreds of years of accumulated paint.
Omfish explained that the walls are periodically scraped to remove the accumulated layers, sometimes to allow masonry or brickwork maintenance to take place.
Interestingly, the artist also collects large pieces of the removed paint and occasionally uses them as a surface for new paintings.
Question: "So in 200 years, people will get crushed and die when this thick ass wall of a thousand layers of paint falls over?"
"We periodically scrape the paint off them. (Sometimes necessary for masons/brickpointers to do facade work) I have massive chunks of layered paint chips I started collecting because of this. Sometimes if I get a big enough piece, ill do a painting on it."
How the GTA VI Mural Is Actually Painted
Omfish also provided a detailed explanation of how the artists recreate an intricate digital design on the side of a building.
The process begins by dividing the original artwork into a grid, with each square corresponding to a 4 × 8-foot section of wall. The team then uses projectors and a specialised machine to perforate large sheets of paper following the outlines of the design.
These sheets are transferred onto the building using charcoal, creating guidelines for the artists to follow. Once the outlines are secured, the team begins filling in the colours, generally working from the background towards the foreground.
Finally, they complete the linework, corrections, touch-ups and lettering. Omfish noted that the GTA VI artwork is relatively straightforward compared with some of the photorealistic advertisements the team produces.
Question: "Looking great! Can you break down the process a bit? You guys start with outlines and base colors, order of color by the amount, ir background pink etc?"
"We draw a grid on the artwork, then each square of that grid equates to one 4×8ft section of wall. We use projectors in a shop with something called an electrified pounce machine that perforates massive rolls of paper with the lines from the grid/linework. Then we take those rolls of paper and do a charcoal rub on the wall row by row. Thus transfer leaves tiny charcoal lines which is the outlines of our design. (At this point we usually draw it in so rain doesnt wash away the charcoal dust) Once we have it outlined we fill in the colours, usually background toward the front (this artwork is very straight forward compared to the photorealistic stuff we often do that requires more nuance) once everything is based in we do linework, fixes/touch ups/colour corrections and then finally we do the lettering! (With more complicated artwork we will do several passes of paint on things like patterned fabric, elaborate/detailed scenery or portraits of famous people)"
What Will Replace the GTA VI Advertisement?
With the mural expected to be painted over within approximately a month, another fan asked whether it would be replaced by a different GTA VI advertisement closer to launch.
Omfish confirmed that the next design would be for an entirely different brand, explaining that the artists regularly work on advertising campaigns for major fashion labels, drinks companies and other businesses.
While video-game and movie advertisements are among their favourite projects because of the visually interesting artwork, much of their regular work involves fashion campaigns.
Question: "Paint something completely different as in for an ad, or GTA related ahead of release?"
"A completely different ad for a different brand. I love painting for games and movies because theyre usually the most visually interesting to work on but I mostly end up painting fashion brands (chanel, gucci, cartier etc.) the ocassional CocaCola or liquor ad, some app service ads, pretty much any company with big outdoor ad campaign money."
GTA VI Marketing Continues to Expand
The mural is part of the growing wave of outdoor advertising appearing ahead of GTA VI's November 19 launch, with promotional artwork beginning to emerge in cities around the world.
For fans hoping to see this particular mural in person, Omfish's comments suggest that there may be only a limited opportunity to do so before it is replaced by another advertisement.
The discussion also provides an unusual glimpse into the work behind Rockstar's advertising campaign, highlighting the considerable time, skill and effort required to recreate GTA VI's artwork on such a large scale.
Sources
All quoted responses have been reproduced as provided, preserving their original wording.