Everyday Answer Lab — A Collector’s Life

  Sometimes a figure slowly becomes part of the background. You buy it, display it, admire it for a while, and eventually your eyes get used to seeing it. This Zoro never really did that for me. Even after putting it on the shelf and seeing it almost every day, I still stop for a second when I walk past. The reason is pretty simple. This figure looks like it’s moving. The body twists forward, one sword is held between Zoro’s teeth, another cuts dramatically across the front, and the third reaches high behind him. His clothes flare out around the pose as if everything has been frozen in the middle of an attack. It doesn’t feel like Zoro is standing there waiting to be displayed. It feels like someone pressed pause during Sanzen Sekai . My P.O.P SA-MAXIMUM Sanzen Sekai Zoro on display. The swords make the pose feel almost too big for the frame. The Face Pulls Me In First From a distance, the three-sword pose gets most of the attention. But when I get close, I usually end ...

 Sometimes a new piece in a collection doesn’t come from a store. This one started at work. My company has a small program that supports activities for employees to recharge and do something different from the usual routine. Our team’s culture manager arranged a visit to a pottery studio, where we could choose a plate and create a design of our own. Once I realized I could draw whatever I wanted, my decision was pretty easy. I chose Nika. Gear 5 Luffy — or Nika — is my favorite character in One Piece , so there really wasn't much competition. Sorry, Zoro. You’re still number two. :) Making My Own Nika Plate At the pottery studio, I chose the plate and started drawing Nika by hand. Then came the coloring. I spent quite a bit of time on the small details, especially the subtle shading around Nika’s hair and wrists. To me, those shadows are an important part of the character’s look, giving the white areas more depth and definition. When I finished painting, I was actually real...