Outta Storage & Off the Workbench: Brutal Cities Eternity Lab Module C

I'm at the stage where I'm happy with how this looks, but kinda tempted to give it another weathering pass...

Anyhow, this is part of the same modular line of sci-fi office buildings as Module A from awhile back. Both modules were assembled and spray painted at the same time and using the same methods and materials. Life decided to get in the way of my hobby after I completed Module A and the accessories that came with both kits - the doors and air conditioner unit. Module C sat in storage until I got back to it. I decided on a simpler approach for a cleaner appearance and in the name of Getting It Done.

Sarah keeps watch while Rosie figures out what's wrong with the air conditioner.

Spray Coats
See Brutal Cities Eternity Lab Module A post.

Highlighting
Khaki areas: FolkArt 420 Linen diluted with water.
Blue areas: FolkArt 520 Dark Hydrangea diluted with water.

Diluting the craft paints allowed me to build up subtle gradations in the corners and other areas that would be more exposed to light.

First Wash
Mix of Liquitex Soft Body Payne's Gray, Liquitex Matte Medium, and water.

My goal was to augment the shading effect already in place from spraying the base coats in a zenithal pattern. This wash was applied over the entire surface and was allowed to pool in the recesses while the excess was wiped away.

Side view with A/C unit on top.

Second Wash
FolkArt 479 Pure Black diluted with water.

The shadows didn't quite look dark enough after the first wash coat. I brushed this darker mix into the areas between the Khaki and Blue areas and other recesses such as those on the ladder.

Lights
FolkArt 520 Dark Hydrangea
FolkArt 480 Titanium White

Here I reproduced the techniques used on Module A. The Dark Hydrangea got stippled on and around the light. I mixed some Titanium White in the Dark Hydrangea and stippled it on a slightly smaller area within the first one. More Titanium White was added in each following layer until I was working with an almost pure Titanium White.

Module A stacked on Module C and accessories (doors and A/C unit).

This project illustrates the benefit of a more streamlined approach and the issue of putting a project on hold. I was able to get Module C to a tabletop ready standard with less work than Module A, even through this is a larger piece. On the other hand, the two pieces don't quite match due to the different techniques used. Any more Eternity Lab Module kits I purchase from Brutal Cities will likely get the simplified and faster approach I used from Module C. This leaves Module A as the odd one out, but I'm okay with that.

Still thinking about one more weathering pass...

The post on Module A has my thoughts on the build, product quality, etc. Long story short - Ryan at Brutal Cities makes good stuff. Sturdy, well thought out, and can fit a variety of settings from modern to cyberpunk to space opera. The cost of shipping from Australia is higher than I'd like, but I can't fault Brutal Cities for the realities of the international shipping. I'll just resort to my usual remedy of waiting for a sale to offset such costs.

Brutal Cities Eternity Lab Module A

Here's one of the Brutal Cities terrain pieces that showed up last month. Brutal Cities is a one-man operation in Australia producing 28mm scale MDF sci-fi terrain. As the name suggests, brutalist architecture is a strong influence, giving the company's terrain a distinctive appearance that isn't associated with any specific setting.

My finished piece and the card showing the color scheme used by Brutal Cities.

The Eternity Lab Module examples on the Brutal Cities website are painted in a striking combination of orange and white. I decided to use the same pattern, but in different colors. The color choices were purely pragmatic. I had spray cans of blue and khaki sitting on the shelf for awhile and wanted to use them up.

Assembly
Putting the piece together was straightforward. The instructions available from the Brutal Cities were clear and there weren't any unexpectedly tricky steps. I regard the REM Shack and Garbage Dumpsters from Warsenal as more challenging builds compared with the relatively simple structure of the Eternity Lab Module A. All parts were assembled using PVA glue.

Rosie (for scale) considers an office for her workshop.

First Spray Coat
Krylon Fusion All-In-One Matte Black. Sprayed on all surfaces including the interior.

Second Spray Coat
Krylon Camouflage Ultra Flat Khaki. Sprayed on all external surfaces. I left some of the Matte Black showing to emulate the appearance of shadows under the cladding.

Third Spray Coat - Cladding Only
Krylon ColorMaster Paint + Primer Satin Iris. I masked all the areas that would remain Khaki. This coat was sprayed on the cladding and ladder.

Rosie inspects the air vents.

Highlight Coats - Khaki Areas
A mix of FolkArt 480 Titanium White and 420 Linen. I started with pure FolkArt 420 Linen and added 480 Titanium White to each layer, highlighting up to pure 480 Titanium White in the corners. In addition to adding more depth to the Ultra Flat Khaki coat, it also covers up areas where the blue spray paint got under the masking tape.

Highlight Coats - Blue Areas
A mix of FolkArt 480 Titanium White, 520 Dark Hydrangea, and 720 Cobalt Blue. The darkest areas got a layer of FolkArt 720 Cobalt Blue. I transitioned from that to FolkArt 520 Dark Hydrangea, mixing the colors as I went from the shadows to the corners. I used the same technique for the lights, but highlighted up to 480 Titanium White.

Weathering Pass - Metallic Wear
Silver Metallic Sharpie marker. I worked with the assumption that the cladding is metal and the structure underneath is concrete or some sci-fi equivalent. With this in mind, I marked up a few spots to simulate paint wearing off and exposing bare metal. I limited this step given how heavy I went with this technique on the Warsenal REM Shack. It looks alright, but I may go back and add a little more later.

Close up of the laser cut etching on the roof.

Detail Work
The laser cut details on MDF pieces like this one sometimes get obscured as layers of paint fill them in. A coat of wash can help, but isn't a completely satisfactory solution. I tried out a new fix for this project. I stabbed the problem. Using a craft knife, I followed the laser cut lines. This removed the paint and made the lines a little deeper and easier to see. I recommend a fresh blade for this and all craft-related stabbing.

Wash Coats
I mixed a dark and brown wash for this piece. The dark wash used a little black craft paint in addition to the Payne's Gray I usually reach for. This resulted in much darker streaking and shadows than I normally get - something that would be visible on the darker blue areas. I applied the dark wash first, wiping off the excess with a sponge with a downward motion, and waited until it was completely dry before adding an additional dark wash coat. Finally, a layer of brown wash added a little dirt to go with the shadows and grime. I paid particular attention to the recessed details like the vents.

"Anybody there? I gave at the office!"

Door
The door that can be glued onto the building or kept separate. I recommend the versatility of keeping the door a separate piece, but bear in mind the gremlins that steal loose parts. Assembly as simple as gluing the two parts together. I painted the door by spraying on a coat of Krylon Fusion All-In-One Matte Black followed by a coat of Krylon ColorMaster Paint + Primer Metallic Aluminum. Finally, I applied a coat of the same dark wash I used on the main piece.

Even I should be able to remember where to order more of these signs.

Signs
I decided to have a little fun playing around with the acrylic signs I also ordered from Brutal Cities while shooting the photos for this post. I can't recommend putting this many signs on a single side of one building, but I wanted to compare how the different colored signs looked. Not all of the signs I ordered were used - a couple were a bit too long to really fit a building of this size. I'll break those out when I get around to my Eternity Labs Module C.

Signs advertising burgers, pet clones, and a milk bar.

Ryan of Brutal Cities put careful thought into the design of this building, both as a tabletop terrain piece and from an architectural perspective. Models on the roof have cover. There is both a ground level doorway and a hatch etched on the roof to permit access to the interior. A ladder provides plausible access to the roof for models on the outside of the building. Vents to provide air flow to any occupants are modeled on the side. It has the appearance of a functional building while still being usable as tabletop terrain.

Overall, I like this piece. It looks good and the interlocking MDF construction is strong. I may have overdone it with the dark wash, though.

A Brutal Cities Package Appears!

I used some of my Christmas cash on my first order from Brutal Cities, a company offering MDF terrain out of Australia. It's a one person operation run by a gentleman named Ryan. He fulfilled my order as soon as he got back from the holiday break. It took a month for the package to make the voyage from Australia to the United States thanks to the current state of affairs.

I didn't remove the backing on the signs before taking this photo, so they don't look as bright as they should be.

Billed as "Wargaming Architecture" on their website, Brutal Cities terrain has a functional aesthetic that fits into a variety of sci-fi settings. I first learned of the company on YouTube: One Terrain for All Games - Brutal Cities (MDF) by 52 Miniatures. In need of more 28mm scale sci-fi terrain for some reason, I put in a modest order.

Eternity Lab Module A & Module C
Brutal Cities' Eternity Labs is a modular MDF terrain system designed to be stacked up or spread out as needed. Module A is the smallest one and Module C is the largest. Brutal Cities offers a bundle of three Module B pieces in addition to individual pieces. The bundle something I'm keeping in mind if I choose to expand my collection down the road.

Cyberpunk Acrylic Neon Signs
This is a set of eight acrylic signs designed to hook onto a 3mm MDF terrain building. The pink and green are really bright, selling the idea of them being neon - although they would likely be some kind of LED technology even in a cyberpunk hellhole. There's a nice selection of signs advertising various fictional businesses. One's for a milk bar, another for a burger joint, a couple that I'll have to squint at later, and a couple for Brutal Cities itself - which is fair enough, I figure.

One of the signs didn't survive the trip from down under. I haven't decided if I'm going to just leave it as "weathering" or try to glue it back together.

I'm looking forward to putting these together, painting them up, and seeing how they work on the tabletop. There's plenty more variety to choose from if I take a liking to them.