Realism tattooing is a style that requires a lot of planning and technical skill. One of the main methods used by Realist tattoo artists is shadow mapping, which involves carefully mapping out the shadows, highlights, and contrasts of a design before starting the tattooing process. This technique, along with the use of photographic sources taped to the artist's workspace, helps to create a topographic-like contour line that outlines the areas of the design.