GASR • Ask For Help

so sorry. Went on vacation.

First question

It's up to the artist. Some artists sketch out what they are going to draw, maybe on paper, or in their program, then shrink it & retrace their lines in a more finished way, or they do it like me, and just go from imagination / look at references.  If it's a dog, I'll go look at actual images of live dogs until I see a pose I like, if they didn't already give me a reference of the pose they want.  Then I'll open the reference next to my canvas for the custom, and I'll look at the reference ONLY as I draw. I almost NEVER look at what I'm drawing. Every since my first art project in school where we had to stare at a map and were not allowed to look at the paper while we drew it, I've always drawn that way. Though I'd like to note I always use the pixel or binary brush.  If the lines are sloppy, I zoom in and clean up the lines that shouldn't be there. I could make a video tutorial if this doesn't satisfy.

Second Question

Perler Bead layouts is a controversial subject. Many will see this as tracing, copying, etc, and other will say that it's fine.  I DO think it's okay to study them, as in look at them to get the idea of working like a grid like you said, however using those in premades you will be selling or customs, is not a good idea. I do think it is a fine practice tool.