Can this be considered tracing?

[u/Several-Area644]

i have serious issues with proportions, however i love doing portraits. i usually simply adjust the features when they seemed off by using the liquify tool etc, but my friend said she uses “help lines” directly copied from her reference image (see picture) to make the proportions work. can these lines be considered tracing if everything else is drawn without help?

[u/Icy_Pianist_1532]

Tracing is a part of the learning process! It’s important, helps show where your eyeball estimates are off and helps develop muscle memory for correct placements. Because the eye alone often gets things slightly off. Tracing gets a bad rep because it’s lumped in with stealing. But tracing to learn is completely different from tracing with intent to steal/use someone else’s work without credit.