It Made Sense at the Time: Selected Sketches by Ursula Vernon

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.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Art

88 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2004

About the author

Ursula 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.

Reviews

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.