How to set a multi-value image field's default value from author's profile field on a node create form?
You can prepopulate from other content through Tokens and Entityreference field. Here's a tutorial: Automatically Populate Drupal Fields From Other Content. 

I don't know if it works with images but I don't see why it wouldn't. Not sure about the multi-value fields, you can try and see. 



For a custom module solution you can lean on Prepopulate. 



In Drupal 8 you can create a custom Media Entity browser that would show only the current user images from that field, then you might be able to choose them, or maybe even set as default. 



Saving the images into the Content types ensures that if the user changes their user images it won't affect the Proof content. But if you want to always have them the same then you shouldn't add that to the Proof content at all. Simply create a contextual Views Block that would always display the content author's proof images and display it on the Proof nodes.