kresby

Kresby, meaning drawings, is a term used in Polish and Czech for two‑dimensional visual works created by making marks on a surface. It covers a broad range of approaches and media, from precise line drawings to loose sketches, and from graphite, charcoal, and ink to pastel and colored conte. A drawing may be a finished artwork in its own right, a study for a larger work, or a preparatory sketch used in planning.

In drawing practice, artists work with line, shape, proportion, and light and shade. Techniques include contour drawing, gesture drawing to capture movement, and various shading methods such as hatching and cross-hatching, as well as washes for value. Surfaces commonly include paper of different weights, but drawings can also be made on parchment, cardboard, or other supports. The choice of medium influences texture, line quality, and durability.

Historically, kresba has been central to European art as a fundamental discipline in training and composition. From antiquity through the Renaissance to modern and contemporary practice, drawings have served to study anatomy, architecture, nature, and to express personal imagination. In contemporary contexts, kresba is valued for its immediacy, draftsmanship, and exploratory character, with artists often combining it with other media or using it as an independent art form.

Notable traditions include academic drawing, which emphasized formal training and measurement, and modern drawing, which expanded the role of line, mark, and gesture as autonomous artistic statements.