Nathan Emery Tattoo
San Francisco

Moving from Pahoa Hawaii to San Francisco with a traditional tattoo apprenticeship, I've tattooed Hawaiian patterns and Polynesian motifs for 25 years. Referencing oral traditions, patterns and motifs handed down from Hawaiian tattoo, tapa cloth, basket weaving and wood carving artisans from the cultural community. Utilizing traditional patterns and motifs to create modern neo-tribal and contemporary tribal designs. I also enjoy Blackwork, Geometric, Black and Grey, Fine Line, Dot-work Pointillism and Japanese Tattoos, as well as bold line work and bright, bold colors.

Put Simply, I Love Tattooing! Hawaiian and Polynesian tattooing focuses my connection to my home in Hawaii, while enjoying imagery of timeless styles tattooing in San Francisco. Neo-Tribal and Mixed Polynesian allow creative freedom in Polynesian Style Tattoos. My Blackwork Tattoos have a Polynesian Influence running through the designs. Japanese Tattoos are foundational for all modern tattoo styles, creating movement and balance between the imagery and the body. Referencing Japanese fit, form and function adds to layouts when drawing large Black & Grey Tattoos, or putting Traditional American Tattoo motifs together for a client. Japanese tattooing is always in mind when creating. Blackwork Tattoos accent the body's shape with Bold Black structural lines and shapes with the use of negative space, sometimes accenting these bold shapes with detailed and delicate geometric designs. Sacred Geometry and other Geometric Tattoo comprise patterns and design motifs from across many cultures. Often referencing textiles, tile mosaics and basket weaving patterns when a history of tattoo imagery is not present for the culture clients are connecting too.

Polynesian Tattooing: refers to Hawaii, and an area of the South Pacific. Geographically the Polynesian Triangle exists between Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. Encompassing thousands of island communities, some with rich tattoo histories like Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, The Marquesas Islands and French Polynesia. Each having their own distinctive tattoo language. While Fiji, the Marshall Islands and the Philippines are also countries with similar rich histories of tattoo culture, they fall outside of Polynesia. Utilizing simple shapes and patterns, like the triangle, Polynesian communities tattoo practices with similar design elements can have different meanings across cultures. Neo-Tribal and Mixed Polynesian Tattooing utilize traditional designs, patterns and motifs in contemporary designs and often mix elements from multiple cultures to create a "Modern Contemporary Polynesian Tattoo".

You can find my tattoos on the platforms: GOOGLE RITUALTAT.COM YELP YELP TOP 10 SLEEVE TATTOOS IN SAN FRANCISCO FACEBOOK FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM: TATTOODO.COM TATTOOWIZZARDS.COM TATTOOCLOUD.COM REDDIT ALIGNABLE

Currently Tattooing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Nathan's private studio is located in Bayview San Francisco, while also doing regular guest spots with Matt Matik at his shop Ritual Tattoo on Solano ave, Albany in north Berkeley. I recently began traveling to Kathmandu Nepal with Matt Matik for the annual Nepal Tattoo Convention and regularly travel, tattoo at Hilo Tattoo Company in Hilo Hawaii and The Narrows Tattoo in Tacoma Washington. An upcoming guest spot with Mary Joy Scott and the crew at Ravens Eye Tattoo San Francisco August 5th through 8th has available spots. Please contact me directly to book an appointment.

Consultations are scheduled at the beginning and end of my workday to avoid interrupting a client appointment. Polynesian Tattooing is freehand drawn on the body and consultations are welcome but not required to make an appointment, saving you a trip, getting scheduled faster, and speeding up the process.

Appointments are first come, first served. When booking an appointment, your deposit is due at the time of scheduling to hold the spot. Deposits are required to make an appointment. If a consultation is needed, it should be scheduled before any appointment is made.

*Deposits range in price by the size of your tattoo. A minimum deposit is $200. *Deposits are part of the payment of your tattoo, and are deducted from the price of the final session when your tattoo is completed. *Deposits reserve your appointment date, and are a promise of your ability to keep that appointment. *If you need to reschedule your appointment, please give a minimum of 48 hours notice, allowing time to possibly fill the spot. Failure to give proper notice will forfeit your deposit. *Failure to show up to your appointment will result in loss of deposit. A new deposit will be required to reschedule missed appointments. *Deposits are valid for 1 year, and are non-refundable.

In-Person Consultations are free. I charge in Hourly or Daily Rates. It's policy to not quote over the phone, text, email, or social media. Bodies are different shapes and sizes. When asked for the price of a sleeve, without an in-person consultation I have no idea of the size, or how long it might take.

Cash, Zelle and Apple Cash (Apple Pay) are accepted forms of payment for tattoo appointments and deposits. Payment due at the end of each appointment, in-person before leaving the studio. Please have your payment method available before coming to your appointment.

If you are a NEW or RETURNING client and would like to set up a consultation or make an appointment: Fill out a contact from Answer the websites instant reply (for first timers my site sends an instant reply with more information. If you don't see it check your spam folder) Schedule an Appointment date by leaving a Deposit, or book a Free Consultation date to discuss your tattoo ideas. Show up for your your scheduled appointment date.

My day starts at 12:00 noon. I schedule one appointment a day for larger work, to accommodate an efficient session and not worry about rushing. Most Multi Session tattoo appointments run 3 to 5 hours sessions with additional time for set up and discussing the focus of the session. Consultations are scheduled at the beginning and end of the day avoid interrupting clients tattoo appointments. I sometimes schedule a day of consultations only.

Having a good experience while getting tattooed is the objective. Following this advice can be the difference: 1 Get a good nights sleep -Up late or going out the night before can leave you feeling drained. 2 Drink pleanty of water before your appointment. - Being hydrated helps the process 3 Wear comfortable cloths you dont mind getting ink on - Dont wear white 4 Eat a good breakfast or lunch before your appointment -Food in your stomach calms the nerves -Food also levels out your blood sugar. -Low blood sugar is the most comon cause of passing out durring a tattoo session 5 No Drugs or Alcohol - In this day of Vape Pens, Edibles and legal forms of THC, being clear headed is key -THC will not distract you from the pain of a tattoo, It will actually make you dwell on it more - Alocohol thins your blood, causing exess plasma to weep from your tattoo - This weeping plasma can bring tattoo pigment to the surface causing tattoo to heal looking faded - If this plasma dries it creates a scab. When the scab falls off it may scar. 6 Follow my healing instructions, not the advice of friends or other tattooers - Every Tattoo Artist has a set of healing instructions they want you to follow. Mine may be different than other artists - I will not try and sell you tattoo products. They are a scam - I will direct you to purchase 2 products from your local store... nothing more

If you are inquiring on behalf of a friend or family member, I do not answer 3rd party emails managing others tattoos. Gift-certificates are available if your are buying a tattoo as a gift.