Pdorysy

Pdorysy is a Polish term used in visual arts, design, and drafting to denote supplementary, exploratory drawings added to a base work. The phrase appears in Polish-language manuals and practice notes and does not have a fixed, widely adopted English equivalent.

Etymology and meaning are described in some sources as deriving from the verb dorysować, meaning to add lines to a drawing, with the plural form pdorysy used to refer to these additional sketches. In practice, pdorysy are typically informal and provisional, created to test ideas without committing to a final version.

Use and characteristics: Pdorysy usually involve quick, exploratory marks, often made in pencil or another erasable medium. They are employed to experiment with composition, proportion, perspective, lighting, or other design elements. Because they are intended for planning rather than presentation, pdorysy are usually kept separate from the finished work and may be overwritten or discarded as ideas evolve.

Contexts and disciplines: The term is used across various fields, including architecture and urban planning for alternative layout explorations, illustration and character design for pose and silhouette studies, cartography for layout alternatives, and fashion design for pilot line decisions. In each domain, pdorysy function as a cognitive tool to broaden options before settling on a final solution.

Relation to other terms: Pdorysy overlap with other concepts such as rough sketches, thumbnails, or exploratory drawings. Not every draft labeled as a pdorys becomes part of the final product, and in different practices the scope and status of pdorysy can vary.

Notes: The concept is primarily described in Polish-language contexts, and English-language literature may describe similar practices without using the exact term.