I Found Magic in the Ordinary ✨ Making Medieval Ink & Creating Enchantment | Artist Vlog

🌿✨ Welcome back to my weekly artist vlog. There is a kind of magic in the early morning. Before emails. Before obligations. Before the world wakes up. This week I wanted to slow down and share something a little closer to the heart of my work—the quiet rituals and tiny moments that inspire my illustrations. From making medieval iron gall ink using oak galls gathered from nature, to sketching a new colouring page and visiting an ancient oak tree affectionately known as The Dragon Tree, this vlog is about finding wonder in ordinary things. As an illustrator, I don't just want to create beautiful images. I want to create worlds. Worlds filled with secrets, hidden details and a little bit of enchantment. Because sometimes magic isn't loud. Sometimes it's hidden in a walk through the hedgerows. A handful of oak galls. Golden light spilling into a studio. Or an ancient tree quietly keeping its stories. Lately I've been gathering these moments and dreaming up a new place to share them—a deeper archive of my art, my inspirations and the magical world I'm building. And this feels very much like the beginning. If you stay a while, I'll show you where it leads. 🤍✨ ✨ Timeline 00:00 Early mornings in my studio 00:14 Turning ordinary moments into magic 00:25 Gathering inspiration from nature 00:39 Making medieval iron gall ink 00:53 The history and magic of oak gall ink 01:15 Would you like a full ink-making tutorial? 01:50 Why my illustrations are filled with hidden details 02:00 Finding inspiration in nature 02:12 Turning this artwork into a colouring page 02:51 Letting art reveal itself naturally 03:03 Visiting the ancient Dragon Tree 03:24 A place of inspiration and wonder 03:42 Building something new and magical 03:58 This is just the beginning... If you love hand-drawn illustrations, magical art, and behind-the-scenes looks at an artist’s process, this vlog is for you! ✨ Support my art & stay inspired: Shop my artwork and merch: https://www.zoesadler.com/shop Find my 🧩 jigsaw puzzles: https://www.zoesadler.com/puzzles Join my Patreon for exclusive sketches, tutorials, and insider updates:   / zoesadler   Explore my oracle deck, The Alchemist’s Oracle: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alchemists-O... Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly vlogs, art tutorials, and insights into making a living as an illustrator. Your support helps me keep creating enchanting artwork and sharing it with the world! ✨ Instagram:   / zoesadler_ink   Music and sounds: This video of my weekly vlog uses these sounds from freesound: ‘Bamboo Windchimes 1’ by bigfriendlyjiant (http://freesound.org/s/soundID/) licensed under CCBYNC 4.0