Thanks for your interest in booking with me! Please read through the FAQs below, then view the booking page for additional information before filling out the form at the bottom of that page to start the booking process.

For touch-ups on my work, please use this scheduling link.

I work in my own private studio at ActivSpace, a warehouse community of fellow small business owners, located at 3150 18th Street. ActivSpace is in the Mission, closer to the Potrero Hill (eastern) side. The building is secure and accessible, about 5 blocks from BART, and very close to several Muni bus line stops.
The main entrance of the building is on Treat Avenue, between unit numbers 102 and 103. If you have an appointment scheduled, you will be provided with a phone number to text when you arrive (please do not use the call box).

I can provide off-street bicycle parking in the ActivSpace garage. If you are parking a bicycle, please have your own lock and bring your bicycle with you to the entrance door. Unfortunately, I am not able to offer onsite garage parking for motor vehicles. Most of the neighborhood has free street parking (without residential limits), but it can be busy, especially on weekdays, so please allow extra time to find a spot and be mindful of posted signs for any restrictions. Paid parking is available at California Parking (El Capitan) or the 16th & Hoff garage. I do not recommend parking in a metered spot.

My current rate is $400/hour and I have a $300 minimum per person per session for all custom tattoos. If you are working with budget restrictions, please include this information on the form and I will let you know if we can execute your idea at or under your budget.

I charge only for time spent actively tattooing. Drawing fees are included in my rate and I do not charge for the time that we spend finalizing your design or deciding on size and placement.

I specialize in detailed fineline and single-needle black ink tattoos, with a focus on the mysterious and mystical side of nature. I work in a minimal realism style, using concise organic linework and light shading to capture the essence of my subject matter in a unique hand-drawn style.

While I strive to accept as many booking requests as possible, I also want you to find the best artist for your tattoo! Your tattoo request will be more likely to be approved if it fits my style, ability, and preferred subject matter:

• Nature

  • Flora: flowers, plants, trees, fungi (especially herbs or unusual plants)

    • Fauna: animals of any kind

    • Space: moons, stars, planets, celestial elements

• Handwriting

• Script (especially cursive and fineline)

• Characters or elements from video games/cartoons/anime/manga

Please, no requests for:

• Detailed human figures (other than existing characters from cartoons/anime/manga)

• Perfect/clean geometry with a computer-printed look

• Full color pieces – I very rarely work with color and will only use it as a slight accent

• Copies of another tattoo artist’s work or copies of a custom tattoo I created

My style limits my ability to cover up or revamp existing tattoos. There are other artists who specialize in cover-ups and revamps, so I will only approve a request for a cover-up or revamp if I am confident that I can achieve the result you are looking for.

I focus on custom tattoos, meaning I draw each piece to be unique to each client. The process will depend on how collaborative you would like to be.

• If you prefer to be a little more hands-off, I appreciate your trust! I may ask you a few questions to determine some basic design features but will source my own references.

• Or you may provide design direction by:

  • Sending reference photos. Images can be photos of the subject you would like to have tattooed or photos of similar tattoos I have done (for style, subject matter, or layout). For style references, I prefer if you do not send me references of tattoos or drawings by other artists.

  • Sending sketches or photo collages if there is a specific layout that you have in mind. (Rough sketches/collages are totally OK!)

  • Sending fonts that you like or sourcing your own font choice.
    

I am also happy to work with finished drawings that match my style and abilities, as long as you are the original artist or have proof of permission from the original artist to get their work tattooed.

I will send a draft of your drawing or font options to you 1-2 days prior to your appointment so that we can work on finalizing the design/font.
The final design will be shown to you in person at your tattoo appointment. There is extra time factored into each appointment in case we need to make additional edits.

I do not offer in-person consultations. I am only doing consultations via email at this time.

For custom work, I may be able to accommodate a maximum of two designs per tattoo session, depending on requested size and complexity of designs.

A HEPA air purifier will be running during all operating hours.

I wear a mask while I am tattooing to prevent exposure to possible airborne or bloodborne pathogens. If, for any reason, you would like me to wear a mask throughout your entire appointment, please do not hesitate to ask! You are not required to be masked but I welcome you to mask up if you prefer.

I am certified in bloodborne pathogen training and have taken additional COVID-19 safety training. I adhere to the standards of cleanliness and sanitation set by the San Francisco County Health Department.

I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have received the updated annual vaccine (2024). I will always have my vaccination records available if you would like to verify for your peace of mind.

On the day of the tattoo appointment, I prefer to work one-on-one so that we can focus the experience on you. If you would like to bring a guest for moral support and input, please limit yourself to one guest only. Your guest may participate in the sizing and placement decision with your consent. Once we start tattooing, however, we will ask for your guest to wait in the separated seating area or visit our neighboring businesses.

To prepare for your tattoo, take care of yourself and your skin as best as you can in the weeks leading up to your appointment. This includes drinking plenty of water and moisturizing your skin (at least in the area of the tattoo). Exfoliating a day or two before your appointment is also helpful!

Get a good night's sleep and eat a meal shortly before your appointment. For longer sessions, I recommend bringing snacks.

Alcohol and excessive caffeine thin your blood, so don't overindulge the night before or the day of your appointment.

You may be asked for your ID for age verification, so please bring a government-issued photo ID.

We will apply a bandage to your tattoo at the end of your appointment. Generally, there are two different types of bandages that I use: a clear plastic sticker-type bandage (popular brand names are Tegaderm and Saniderm) or a plastic-and-gauze bandage.

For the clear sticker-type bandage, please keep on for 24 - 48 hours. You may shower with it on but please completely avoid any soaking or swimming. After 24 - 48 hours, gently peel off the bandage under running water and follow the remainder of the aftercare instructions below. If for any reason this bandage irritates your skin, you may remove it early and skip to the remainder of the aftercare instructions. You will not need to rebandage your tattoo.

For the plastic-and-gauze bandage, please keep on for at least 3 hours. This bandage may be left on overnight if preferred. You will not need to rebandage your tattoo.

Days 1 - 3 after bandage removal:

Wash tattoo with an unscented soap. Recommended soap brands are Cetaphil face cleanser or Dr. Bronner's (the natural essential oil scented versions of Dr. Bronner's are OK, but diluting in water is recommended). Pat dry with a paper towel or tissue and then apply a light, unscented lotion or cream. Recommended lotion brands are Cetaphil, Cerave, Lubriderm.

Days 3 - 28 after bandage removal:

Continuing washing the tattoo at least once per day. Apply lotion/cream as needed.

Tattoos take 3 - 5 weeks to heal completely.

While your tattoo is healing...

• NO oily or antibacterial products

• NO aloe vera or scented lotions

• NO sunscreen

• NO swimming, soaking, saunas, or steam rooms

• NO sweaty exercise for 2 - 3 days

• NO exposure to harsh, direct sunlight

• NO tight-fitting clothes or accessories

• NO scratching or picking tattoo scabs

After the tattoo has healed, use sunblock.

Fine line and small tattoos may more noticeably show a need for a touch-up (compared to work with thicker lines or darker shading). Usually only one touch-up session is needed to fill in any areas that lightened after the initial tattoo, but I offer lifetime free touch-ups on all of my work except on fingers/hands, feet, and ears (cartilage or lobe) just in case!

Work must be healed for at least 4 weeks before assessing if a touch-up is needed.

For touch-ups on my work, please use this scheduling link.

Deposits will be paid via my scheduling link by debit/credit card or PayPal.
On the day of the tattoo, cash is preferred but I also accept Venmo, PayPal, credit card, or tap payments (Google/Apple/Samsung Pay).

Note: this is my personal policy only and does not necessarily apply to any other artists -

Tips are always appreciated but never expected! I set my rates with the understanding that getting a tattoo can be a big investment and not everyone feels comfortable factoring a tip into their budget.

As an alternate way of showing additional support, please consider leaving a positive review on Google or Yelp and/or paying with cash (to save me the digital payment processing fees).

When working with other artists, the general etiquette is to tip 20% of the total tattoo cost including deposit. For touch-ups, I recommend estimating what the cost would be based on the artist's hourly rate (prorated), then tip 20% of that amount.

I offer lifetime free touch-ups on all of my work except on fingers/hands, feet, and ears (cartilage or lobe).

Work must be healed for at least 4 weeks before assessing if a touch-up is needed.

For touch-ups on my work, please use this scheduling link.

Custom tattoos are unique designs created specifically for each client based on the client's requested parameters. Most of my work falls in this category. Please refer to the design process question (above) for more details.
Handwriting, text, and tattoos for which you provide the design (with proof of permission from the original artist) are also considered custom tattoos for pricing purposes, regardless of whether or not you need me to make edits to the design. This is because a high level of precision is required to faithfully translate handwriting, text, or other artist's work to skin.

Flash tattoos are pieces that I have already designed. They are simply images that I would like to tattoo, created with no one specific in mind. Flash may be tattooed more than once and can be claimed by multiple people. I am able to offer a discounted flat rate on these designs since they may be repeated.

Thanks for your interest in my work! I am not comfortable with having my designs tattooed by another artist. Each tattoo artist has their own unique style, and the way I draw my pieces is honed to match my tattooing techniques.