How GMM Studios Made This Stunning Aeldari Display

By GMM Studios | January 10th, 2020 | Categories: Dark Eldar Drukhari, Eldar, GMM, How To Tutorial, Warhammer, Warhammer 40k

We’re taking a step back into one of the most recent GMM Studios display boards hitting the hobby world with an Aeldari theme.

In case you missed it, GMM Studios made a jaw-dropping display of Aeldari forces sprouting out of a webway. Using all sorts of hobby techniques and GW models, he, once again, went above and beyond everything that anyone ever expected to see.

Hello out there! As promised, back with the images and notes on the making and painting of the last Ynnari display. Lots of pics to go through, so let’s get to the building.

Check out how GMM Studios made this incredible hobby display.

Building the Ynnari Display

Of all the components to the build, there are three main supplies used:

A whole lot of Smooth-On two-part clay
Wood trim
And some hardware for the frame

For inspiration, GMM Studios pulled from ancient temple fronts. Aeldari are an ancient race and older Asian temples fit the bill almost seamlessly for style.

For the actual framework of the display, boards were cut and secured in a box. Two supporting boards were also suspended to keep the foam base from sitting on whatever the display was resting on.

Keeping functionality in mind, he made the display segmental with the front-half meant for detaching and carrying around at tournaments. Taking focus on the front half first, this is where all the models used in the tournament would sit. This modeling was all done by careful shaping from clay used above.

The clay takes a good overnight to dry. To create an elevated/natural look, he had to slowly layer the clay in with previously sculpted rocks over and over. It’s a time-consuming process but definitely not a step you want to cut corners on.

The Trees went up the same way. Slowly building up layers and sculpting over a wire frame. When wet, the clay doesn’t have much structure. But once dry it is rock hard and makes a good base for detail later.

Focusing the attention to the back, once he got the main architecture down on the floor, he used these panels as a detailed frame. These are laser cut panels done by Ironheart Artisans. Before they were attached to the board he sunk all of these into layers of plastic strip did some gross weathering on every panel.

With the board really taking shape, a bunch of “ruins” in the shape of loose bricks were scattered across the board. The Wraithknight was also painted separately and then pushed into the first layer of clay making the webway. Small metal pipes were also stuck into the same area as the Wraithknight. Clay was built up around those ends to look like exhaust blowing out of the back of the Aeldari Flyers.

Trees were then built up slowly on the sides to look like years of overgrowth beginning to reclaim the old temple.

Painting the Display & Finishing Touches

Warming up the board with a lighter brown and beginning highlights on the trees, the display started to really come together.

Keeping a natural feel, he slowly built up layers of slightly different colors in different areas of the display. Nothing in nature is all completely the same color. To show this, different highlights were thrown onto the trees as well as a few batches of darker/lighter stones as color layers were built up.

Next, the portal itself was focused on with painter’s tape marking clear edges of where the paint would go.

With the back 90% finished and moving on to hand shading and blending in color, I put the two together. Getting really precise with watercolor style painting to help shapes and forms pop.

Adding some flock. This part was a lot of fun. White lichen dipped in a thin dark blend of browns and purples was allowed to dry overnight, then spray adhesive into a bin of flock. Hot glue was then used to wrap each piece around the tree limbs. Here and there adding glue to the bottom to catch loose flock naturally.

Covering all of the trees and areas of ground directly beneath them with flock, the display board was done! Painted Flyers were attached to the rods that had been built up with clay layers an the rest of the force was added standing on the stones.

If you haven’t seen all of the models in the completed display, you’re missing out. This is a real hobby work of art with each mini painted to fit the display board perfectly.

With this display covered, have you been inspired to make your own for your army? Have you ever attempted making a display board before? Does your army have a unique theme like this one?

Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and sign up to get your free hobby updates newsletter (with discount coupon codes) each morning as well!