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How did Egyptian artists use grids to draw human figures?

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Ancient Egyptian illustration from the Book of the Dead showing Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, with gods seated above and hieroglyphic text throughout. — Egyptian art and architecture Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, c. 1275 bce.

In ancient Egyptian art, the representation of the human figure was governed by a strict canon of proportion that ensured consistency across generations. To maintain these standards, artists utilized a grid system to map out their compositions on walls prepared for decoration.1

The application of these grids evolved over time:

Early Methods: In the Old Kingdom, artists initially marked walls with horizontal red guidelines. Over time, vertical lines were added to create a complete grid.1
Standardization: For much of the Dynastic period, a grid consisting of 18 rows of squares was used to contain the standing figure of a man.1
Later Adjustments: Beginning in the 26th dynasty, the grid was expanded to 21 rows of squares for the same purpose.1

This grid system was deeply integrated into the training of Egyptian artists, allowing them to render the human form according to established conventions—such as showing the head in profile while the eye remained in full view—to prioritize the most characteristic viewpoint of each body part.1