Kafka WIP 2 – Progress Update and blog (about WF)

This is Kafka WIP 2.

Since this is a blog-style post, I might write about totally unrelated things too, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Speaking of which… I went to WF the other day

I was really torn about whether to bring my camera this time, but in the end, I decided not to.

About WF (Just personal thoughts)

At the “Tonamo” event back in June, I tried taking photos with my phone and… yeah, it really didn’t turn out well. Regular 1x zoom shots are fine, but when it comes to figures, you really need to zoom in.

But when you zoom, the image gets pixelated and noisy. Even though phones have some correction tech, it’s still not clean. I usually shoot with a DSLR and macro lens, so phone quality just doesn’t cut it for me...

At the same time, carrying a heavy camera around is such a hassle, especially when you're constantly moving. Personally, I like to actually see the works and talk to people, so I lean toward enjoying the event that way.

These days, most people who bring cameras go full-on photo mode and post on X (formerly Twitter), so I kinda feel like there's no need for me to take pics too.

That said, sometimes I can’t find shots or angles I personally want to see, and that does bug me.

Anyway, your purpose really changes how you approach events like this:

• If you're there to shop,

• If you want to socialize and look around,

• Or if you’re mainly there to photograph and see as much work as possible—
  it all affects how you experience the day.

I’ve tried all of these approaches, and honestly, you can usually only achieve one goal at best.

If you focus on shopping, you’ll be rushing around and only get time to view pieces in the afternoon. If you focus on talking to people, you’ll have long conversations and won't be able to take photos or shop properly. If you’re there to shoot… well, as I said, I can’t get satisfied shots with my phone.

Trying to multitask during events just doesn’t work well. And these days I don’t really manage to shop much either—everything sells out so fast, or lines are ridiculous. I’ve pretty much given up on shopping during the event and just rely on BOOTH for post-event sales, which is a lifesaver.

Speaking of huge lines—this WF had some crazy ones at a few specific dealers. Like, shockingly long. Multiple ones, in fact. It was very “all the hype in one place” kind of vibe, and it honestly made sense.

Within about 30 minutes, some popular dealers were already posting “sold out” notices. So, your strategy and movement plan clearly makes a difference in your success.

Interestingly, I heard several people say they could buy stuff just fine with general admission tickets too, so it seems like Kaiyodo is finally listening to attendee feedback. Even the waiting area for general ticket holders had shade now!

Also, I noticed a decent number of overseas visitors at WF. I personally met people from the US and Taiwan, but it felt like there were folks from even more places.

I’m really curious to see how Wonder Festival evolves in the future, especially its expansion overseas.

Kafka WIP 2 (Coloring)

Alright, now onto the Kafka build.

┃ If I already know the answer, I don’t make reference materials just for efficiency's sake (as always)

Once the test build is done, it’s time for painting. For Kafka, APEX TOYS has already opened pre-orders for their finished PVC figure, and there are promo photos available.

So I decided to use both the dealer’s sample and APEX's PVC reference photos to choose my colors. (I’ll use the product link just to post an image—no need to buy it. It’s sold out anyway.)

Honestly, the color scheme in the official sample is so solid that I thought, “Yeah, let’s just go with this.”

Here’s a dealer version for reference:
https://x.com/hysteric_SSS/status/1757401277796151604/photo/2

Kafka’s key colors are magenta to violet, with magenta being more dominant. But the dealer sample leans heavily into the violet side.

To make mine look more like the APEX sample, I decided to increase the magenta + clear red ratio.

The hair color is made by mixing and layering cyan, magenta, and clear red.

When I line up my version next to the reference, I think I’m pretty close.

Under bright light, the magenta is more obvious. I applied shading at the roots and tips to lower the brightness slightly.

Since the bangs are a clear part, if you leave it fully transparent, you’ll be able to see the forehead through it.

To prevent that, I thinned down the pigment and reduced the transparency slightly. This is super important—using just dye on clear parts will lead to that dreaded “see-through face” problem.

You want to preserve the clear look without making it fully opaque. Balance is key. Practice, and study clear hair parts in finished PVCs to develop your technique.

The nuance of color varies depending on your reference. Even official sources show some color discrepancies, so it's like slight "notation inconsistencies."

You’ll never match the official colors 100%, but try to get as close to the image as possible.

What colors are involved? What can I mix in to get closer? These are things you figure out by imagining, testing, and trying.

Posts on X can be helpful for hints, but most people don’t post their exact paint formulas, so don’t rely on that alone.

People often ask “What color should I use?” but honestly, I just mix existing colors until I get close. I think most commercial painters would say the same thing.

You need to get used to mixing dyes, pigments, clears, and solvents to get a feel for it. Existing paints can work sometimes, but that’s rare in figure painting.

┃ For skin tones, my usual set works just fine

I use my standard go-to paints for skin.

I start by spraying a light coat of 059 + 060, then apply C-12, and finally a very thin coat of fluorescent red.

For areas like cleavage, I brush in enamel membrane clear. Some people wonder whether to do this before or after other layers, but honestly, it doesn’t make much difference.

As I wrote in the Bunny Toki article, it's helpful to compare with PVC versions to judge if your skin tone is too light or dark.

See the comparison—it’s easy to tell.

For natural-looking shadows in areas like cleavage, some people use pastel powders. The Tamiya Weathering Master H set is great for this. I recently remembered this method...

Haven’t used it myself, though. Maybe I should try next time when I want heavier shadow contrast… (Though I’ve said that before and still never used it...)

As a reference, check out this post of a figure painted by Muramasa-san, sculpted by AroeMonaka-san:
https://x.com/Alomoalomo/status/1949047053671092663/photo/1

Muramasa’s blog also has details on how it was painted:
https://muramasa03.hatenablog.com/entry/2025/07/28/235911

Using clear purple mixed into skin tones can also produce interesting effects. Try keeping that in mind as another option.

Shirt: going for the see-through effect just like the sample

To recreate the transparent shirt look, I followed the sample's approach.

It’s super easy:

• Paint the underwear color directly on the body.

• Thin out Ultimate White and spray over it.

• Add a pearl topcoat.

That’s it. Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking while doing it—it’s so straightforward.

Here’s how it looks combined.

To get that sheer look, just don’t overdo the white layer and don’t extend the underwear color all the way to the edges. That’s all there is to it. No special tricks.

That’s it for now!

Next post will be about the “pants” (not really pants), the legs, and eye painting!