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It Made Sense at the Time: Selected Sketches by Ursula Vernon
Artistic Visions is a new series of full-size perfect-bound publications focusing on the sketches and illustrations of well-known artists. Going beyond a collection of drawings, each volume attempts to impart a sense of the artist’s philosophy, tips, and techniques through personal interviews and commentary.
88 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2004
About the author
Ursula Vernon
85 books1,586 followersUrsula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, is an author and illustrator. She has written over fifteen books for children, at least a dozen novels for adults, an epic webcomic called “Digger” and various short stories and other odds and ends.
Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.
Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.
Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.
Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, studied anthropology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.
Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband and his chickens.
Her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards. It has garnered a number of Webcomics Choice Awards, the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, the Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature, the Nebula for Best Short Story, the Sequoyah Award, and many others.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 1, 2015
The sketchery of Things Vernon, art both Un- & published, this is a terrific little tour through the mind-fingers of one of the most intriguing young artists-writers of our era. Fans of Ursula Vernon/T.Kingfisher (her adult market publishing alter ego) will enjoy bumping into bits and pieces of thought processes we've seen fully fleshed elsewhere, and the peek behind the curtain in general. I pick this up every few months to cruise through both for the pleasure of the thing itself and the feeling of inspiration I get from reading it. I'm so happy she decided to publish this book!
If you've never seen any of her work but enjoy the art of the unusual I think you'll have a lot of fun with this - and likely want to see MORE. I envy you.
If you've never seen any of her work but enjoy the art of the unusual I think you'll have a lot of fun with this - and likely want to see MORE. I envy you.
May 19, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️➕ | Beyond 5 Stars. An Inspiring Treasure Trove of Creativity
It Made Sense at the Time: Selected Sketches by Ursula Vernon completely sealed my obsession with this author and illustrator.
Page 37. The Alien Valkyrie.
That was the moment. The exact moment I fell headfirst into admiration, not just for her stories, which I already loved, but for her mind as an artist.
This book is far more than a sketch collection. It feels like sitting inside an artist’s studio while they explain how their imagination works. It is funny, self aware, deeply creative, and strangely comforting to anyone who has ever made art professionally.
I am honestly sad I never found this book while I was still teaching art. I would have used it constantly in the classroom. It inspires experimentation, humor, imperfection, and fearless creativity in a way most “art books” never manage to do.
Now I am actively looking to purchase her artwork, especially a painting.
One of my favorite moments is when she talks about buying an entire tube of iridescent gold acrylic paint and jokes that it is the least useful color in the entire Golden Acrylic rainbow and that when she dies, people will still find the tube mostly full in her studio. As an art teacher, I laughed so hard because it is painfully true. Every artist has that one ridiculous supply purchase they were sure would change their life.
And somehow, hearing that hit even harder because I taught her children years ago and literally just saw them recently while visiting my parents at the casino. Suddenly this larger than life artist became startlingly human and connected to my own world in the strangest way.
Published in 2004, this collection gives a behind the scenes look into Ursula Vernon’s creative process, sketches, commentary, and artistic thoughts long before many readers knew her later work as T. Kingfisher.
What makes this book so special is that the commentary itself is art. Her humor and observations are as entertaining as the sketches.
Some favorite quotes and moments:
• “Every now and again, a painting will get away from my control and take over. Sometimes it’s a good thing. Sometimes it’s a giant drooling hairy thing with pointy teeth. You know how it is.”
• “Never underestimate the power of a good cup of coffee.”
• “You’re brave and not very bright, which is the key to success.”
• “Dragons have been known to have staring contests with mountains. They usually win.”
Her work reminds me that illustration should still have joy in it. Weirdness. Play. Texture. Curiosity.
It also reminded me how much I miss teaching art, especially helping students realize they do not need perfection to create something magical.
This book feels like permission to make strange things.
It Made Sense at the Time: Selected Sketches by Ursula Vernon completely sealed my obsession with this author and illustrator.
Page 37. The Alien Valkyrie.
That was the moment. The exact moment I fell headfirst into admiration, not just for her stories, which I already loved, but for her mind as an artist.
This book is far more than a sketch collection. It feels like sitting inside an artist’s studio while they explain how their imagination works. It is funny, self aware, deeply creative, and strangely comforting to anyone who has ever made art professionally.
I am honestly sad I never found this book while I was still teaching art. I would have used it constantly in the classroom. It inspires experimentation, humor, imperfection, and fearless creativity in a way most “art books” never manage to do.
Now I am actively looking to purchase her artwork, especially a painting.
One of my favorite moments is when she talks about buying an entire tube of iridescent gold acrylic paint and jokes that it is the least useful color in the entire Golden Acrylic rainbow and that when she dies, people will still find the tube mostly full in her studio. As an art teacher, I laughed so hard because it is painfully true. Every artist has that one ridiculous supply purchase they were sure would change their life.
And somehow, hearing that hit even harder because I taught her children years ago and literally just saw them recently while visiting my parents at the casino. Suddenly this larger than life artist became startlingly human and connected to my own world in the strangest way.
Published in 2004, this collection gives a behind the scenes look into Ursula Vernon’s creative process, sketches, commentary, and artistic thoughts long before many readers knew her later work as T. Kingfisher.
What makes this book so special is that the commentary itself is art. Her humor and observations are as entertaining as the sketches.
Some favorite quotes and moments:
• “Every now and again, a painting will get away from my control and take over. Sometimes it’s a good thing. Sometimes it’s a giant drooling hairy thing with pointy teeth. You know how it is.”
• “Never underestimate the power of a good cup of coffee.”
• “You’re brave and not very bright, which is the key to success.”
• “Dragons have been known to have staring contests with mountains. They usually win.”
Her work reminds me that illustration should still have joy in it. Weirdness. Play. Texture. Curiosity.
It also reminded me how much I miss teaching art, especially helping students realize they do not need perfection to create something magical.
This book feels like permission to make strange things.
October 21, 2010
I'd read/stare at this book again in an instant. Love Ursula's older works as much as her current ones. Love the stories behind them even more. I'm so glad I purchased this!
April 2, 2017
This is a colllection of sketches that Ursula Vernon has done at one time or another, and as such there's not a lot to say about it. There's a brief interview, and notes from the author on every page, and a lot of really awesome/weird sketches, including the basis for the Sea Serpent and Sockpuppet painting, and it's adorable and lovely and worth it. I really like it, and I'm really glad I bought it.
The only slightly awkward thing is that it was published while she was still married to her first husband, as opposed to Kevin, and as a devoted listener of Kevin and Ursula Eat Cheap I was a little bit uncomfortable when the first one popped up. That said, the sketches remain amazing and the commentary is the same brilliant hilarity I've come to expect from Vernon. Ursula Vernon, A+ as usual.
The only slightly awkward thing is that it was published while she was still married to her first husband, as opposed to Kevin, and as a devoted listener of Kevin and Ursula Eat Cheap I was a little bit uncomfortable when the first one popped up. That said, the sketches remain amazing and the commentary is the same brilliant hilarity I've come to expect from Vernon. Ursula Vernon, A+ as usual.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews