Grid lines are extremely helpful when it comes to portrait painting.
When I just started to paint portraits, grid line is a tool for me because it is easy to use and effective.
However, it gradually took away my judgment on the measurement of the face, and sometimes the whole picture got distorted because I was relying on grid lines too much.
I think this is dangerous, especially for people who love art and appreciate the freedom to express their feelings through painting. Grid lines became a distraction and inhibited artistic expression. It can take away your peacefulness in creating art by overly focusing on details in starting a painting. However, for huge canvas, grid line is necessary to accurately depict the subject of the painting and ensure that the composition is well balanced.
As I accumulated more experience, I’m learning to get rid of grid lines for small portrait painting to earn my freedom in painting.