SUKIMA SANGYO

Kafka WIP1 + A Blog by Someone Who Wants to Efficiently Study the Coloso Course

Added 2025-08-02 00:10:56 +0000 UTC

Now that it’s August, I’ve finished Kafka, so I’m going to write about it in blog format, just like I did with Bunny Toki recently.

For build logs, it’s usually better to write everything in one go, but for other topics, a blog format might be easier to follow.

┃Sculpting courses are amazing (vocabulary: zero)

So, recently I’ve been watching sculpting videos on Coloso—right after I wake up.

I usually get up around 5–6 AM, take a quick five-minute walk, and then dive into the highest-priority task of the day (usually something that requires brainpower). So I start watching after that walk.

Until recently, I used that time for writing blog posts, sanding, or editing videos, but I’m gradually changing my routine.

About Coloso: each lesson is around 30 minutes, and the total runtime exceeds 20 hours. The course I’m watching is 1,644 minutes—so about 27.4 hours. One course costs around 20,000 yen (roughly $130), and honestly, with this kind of content, the price makes sense… It’s not expensive. In fact, it’s almost too cheap for the level of quality. (I mean, producing a whole figure in under 30 hours is wild!)

It’s not like Coloso is going to ask a niche blog like this for a review, so yeah—of course I paid for it myself. Which means I can speak my mind freely. What’s really impressive is that the course shows real commercial sculptors doing their actual workflow.

As beginners, what we really want to know is probably things like:

How fast do professionals work?
What do they think about when adjusting parts?
What mindset do they have during the overall sculpting process?

Each section—body sculpting, hair, face, posing, etc.—is explained while sculpting in real time, so it’s very easy to follow.

YouTube videos, due to time constraints, are often heavily cut or sped up (because low viewer retention affects the algorithm and your video won’t get recommended). But in Coloso courses, there’s no cutting! That’s a big deal.

Obviously, only people who are truly interested in sculpting—and are willing to pay—watch these, so there’s no need for cutting in the first place.

From start to finish, they show the full workflow in real time. You can clearly see where and how they make adjustments, how they use masks, etc. There’s a lot to discover.

Also, the videos can be played at 0.5× to 2× speed. So you can first watch at 2× speed to get an overview, then go back at normal speed to replicate the process. That flexibility is genius. If you can learn to sculpt from this, then 20,000 yen is an absolute bargain.

┃Not suitable for people who can’t build study habits

That said, this kind of course probably isn’t for:

People who want beginner-level step-by-step explanations
People who tend to procrastinate because it’s not live content
People who just vaguely “want to get better” without clear goals

There’s basically zero explanation of basic operations. You’ll need to figure things out on your own—like what happens when you invert masks, or deal with artifacts. You should probably buy a textbook and study thoroughly beforehand.

Likewise, there’s almost no anatomy explanation. That also needs to be learned separately.

Basically, it means you need to study in order to study. True beginners are not the target audience.

But in a way, that’s a chance. Why? Because this level of study will make about 80% of people say, “Nope, I can’t do this…” They’ll go back to their regular routines. But what happens if you don’t give up? You’ll absorb workflows on the same level as commercial sculptors, so naturally, your skills will improve and you’ll work faster.

To be honest, I’ve bought several textbooks myself and only made it through one. Pretty sad…

Look at all these books… and I only finished the top one…

Reflecting on why I failed back then, I think the biggest problem was not being able to turn study into a habit.

At the time, I told myself I’d just do what I could, so I only focused on painting. I wasn’t really serious. But after a few years, I started feeling like: “Actually, I do want to try sculpting.”

I’ve forgotten most of what I studied before, so I’m starting from scratch again. But now, unlike before, I’ve learned some habit-building techniques. So I feel like I can make sculpting a habit and keep learning smoothly.

If you start with tons of motivation but no plan, you’ll quickly burn out and forget why you even opened ZBrush. That’s how it always ends.

To avoid that, you need to lower the bar—like really low. Like “just open ZBrush for five minutes a day” kind of low. Baby steps.

┃So how should you study?

Here’s my rough study plan using Coloso:

Watch the entire course at 2× speed. Skip minor stuff—it’s just to understand the flow.
Take notes on interesting points, things you’re curious about, or any questions (ideally by hand).
Spend time reviewing those notes or visualizing what you saw (this helps with memory retention).
After finishing all the lectures, try recreating the sculpt from the course (output is key).
Once you start sculpting, use a timer to track how long each part takes—this helps identify problem areas or things you don’t understand yet.

That’s the general flow I’m thinking of. Of course, I’ll adjust the method depending on how things go, but I feel it’s better to start by learning the full process.

During the course period, active recall (repeatedly trying to remember what you learned) really helps with long-term memory retention. Even at 2× speed, watching 27 hours of content is no joke, so focusing on key points is essential. You don’t even have to start from the beginning—you could jump in from the later sections.

If you’re wondering, “Are you really doing all this after talking such a big game?”—yes, I’m currently watching every morning.

It’s only been a few days, but I’ve already noticed some different approaches compared to what I’ve read in books. So I’ll keep reviewing basic operations from textbooks while continuing the course.

I think I’ll also post about my progress on the blog—writing about it helps me stay on track.

So yeah, I’ve found a new joy in sculpting, and I’ll try to work on it alongside painting.

From here on, I’ll continue with my Kafka WIP. (Though technically, it’s already finished.)

Kafka WIP 1

Alright, from here we move on to the Kafka build.

I received the kit at the end of May and did a parts check… and wow, what’s this?

┃Sometimes parts are warped from the beginning and there's nothing you can do

The chair… it’s completely bent out of shape.

At first, I tried soaking the chair part in hot water to restore it to its original form.

It seemed usable if it could hold that shape afterward.

But after about a month passed (during which I was working on other event samples), as you can see—it warped again.

Someone else who bought the same kit had warned me, saying, “Even if you fix the chair, it’ll warp over time, so it’s not usable.”

I think it’s less about summer heat and more a combination of time + weight. That thin post just can’t support the dense chunk of resin above. If you add the cushion and figure on top of that, the load would be too much, and it’d warp even further. Structurally, maybe it can’t be helped… Still, it’s a shame since it’s a beautiful clear part.

Initially, I had planned to display it mounted to a frame, just like the sample, but I was also hoping I could use the chair if possible. However, with this kind of warping, it can’t withstand display, so unfortunately, I had to return it to the box.

I couldn’t help but wonder if the reason the sample didn’t use the chair was because of this issue. But honestly, the frame display looks way cooler, so I was thinking “whoever painted this is a genius” while I kept working.

As for the rest of the kit, it’s completely standard—no outrageous mold lines or anything. Chinese kits tend to cast hair parts almost entirely in clear resin, which is impressive.

Even the mold lines are minimal. The quality is seriously amazing. How do they even do it?

When it comes to handling clear resin, mold lines and pinning are usually the pain points, but if one of those is eliminated, it’s a huge help.

I’ve even heard there are some kits where the sanding and pinning are already done—absolutely wild.

┃About the frame

The frames used for displaying the kit come in different sizes, and I wasn’t sure which one to get, so I bought one each of the 6, 7, and 8-inch sizes.
After some digging, I found these types of frames are sold on AliExpress.

If you’re considering a similar display, search for terms like “photo frame European” and you should find them.

Once you’ve got the frame, you’ll decorate the back with brass rods. These also serve to secure the figure, so they need to be embedded into the frame.

Next, embedding the stand. The frame alone can’t stand up on its own, so a stand is essential.

You can buy stands on Amazon. Just drill holes into the frame and insert the stand—simple. But since the frame isn’t very sturdy or heavy, there’s a risk it could topple over. You might want to consider adding weights to the stand or anchoring the base for stability.

I inserted the brass rod through the back strap of the figure to attach it to the frame. As for the ribbon parts—since they were thin and broke—I flattened 1mm brass rods with a hammer to recreate them.

If you look at the completed photos, you’ll see that once painted, it blends in seamlessly. So this could be a helpful technique to remember for future recovery work.

Even if you rotate the display like in this video, the figure doesn’t fall off:
https://x.com/sukimasangyo2/status/1930044691795587551

That’s how it looks after test assembly and mounting to the frame.