Realism has to work on the body
A photograph is source material, not the final composition. On skin, everything is governed by body shape, viewing distance and how the tattoo will age.
01. Detail hierarchy
Not every detail should have the same visual volume. Strong work guides the eye from the primary forms to the secondary ones.
02. Contrast
Depth is built through a range of values: solid black, controlled midtones and areas where the skin itself acts as light.
Good realism reads as a whole first, and only then reveals its details.
03. Composition
A design has to account for anatomy. That is why the same reference should never be transferred identically to different people.
