A tattooer called Paul Cramman has been passing my work off as his.

[Valerie Vargas]

A tattooer called Paul Cramman has been passing off my work, among others, off as his. He managed to get a job in Glasgow based on his stolen online portfolio. He has literally cropped my images right down, photoshopped the background off and put his name on them, this was not a thoughtless task. I'm livid, but less so than when I found out last night thanks to a friend in Scotland.

I think it's important to bring this to everyone's attention, no one should be able to pass other people's work off as their own and go unreported. This guy claimed to have been tattooing 14 yrs yet not a single photo was his, he probably has never even held a tattoo machine.

Something similar happened to my boss, the guy who taught me, years ago. He hired some guy over email who sent him an online portfolio filled with good solid tattoo work. He moved countries for the job and we found out within hours what a lie everything had been, he didnt even know how to set up a tattoo machine and was promptly fired.

ALWAYS ALWAYS check up on artists looking for a job at your shop if you are a studio owner, don't just accept some emailed photos as someone's work, do your research, ask around, who last employed them for crying out loud! there are ways to check up on people. And for customers it goes without saying research your tattooer, check their work at the studio, google them, etc.

It's not a nice thought knowing this sort of thing happens and puts customers at risk, and makes a mockery of any hard work tattooers put in.

This guy in question has now been fired.

[Brock Varty]

I'm sorry that someone is ripping off your work. It is absolutely a shame and leaves a sour taste in my mouth. If you can't work hard enough to develope your own skills, why would you work so hard to steal someone elses work. It is immoral, unprofessional, and of questionable standards. Absolute horse shit.

[gougetheeyes]

Always amazed with stories like this. Dude will fucking get his one day!

[tatB]

I googled his name and the shop still has the stolen/fraudulent portfolio on their website and your lady heads basically scream "Valerie Vargas made me!" so I'm surprised anyone would try to pass your work off as their own.

[Pugilist]

This sucks and I'm glad he was caught. What I always tell my students re: plagiarism is that just as the Internet makes it so easy to just grab someone else's work these days, it also makes it so much easier to catch people. And yet folks still try to get away with it.

[CultExciter]

Ugh, Valerie. Ridiculous. I hope he doesn't get the chance to mary anyone up with his bogus ability.

[kylegrey]

@Stefan Johnsson I recognise a wolf-head thats blatantly yours amongst the stuff he's passing off as his portfolio .

[Bunny Switchblade]

This totally sucks.....I hate when i hear about this kind of thing happening!

Is it being "handled" Valerie???

On a side note.....my bestie is in London this week...not too far from the shop!

[reverend1]

Scumbag

[Graeme]

One that was pretty clearly stolen from Angelique Houtkamp as well. What a fucking scumbag.

[captaincabinet]

Did the guy really think no-one would recognise some of these tattoos?! I just can't imagine what the guy expected to acheive in the long term.

[sarapressey]

That's terrible! I am glad you are letting everyone know about this guy. He does not deserve to call himself a tattooer. That's terrifying to think people likely went to this guy unaware of what he was doing. Ugh.

[Bunny Switchblade]

The portfolio is gone from the website!

;)

[EzRider]

Liar and a thief....Doesn't get much lower. Glad he was caught and fired.

[bulldog]

Yes a liar, thief and stupid if he thought he could get away with stealing such a renowned tattoo artists work.

[Dan S]

Someone needs an asskicking.

[Johannes]

first thing tomorrow I'll order a cool tat-kit from china, steal someones pictures and email them to cool studios where i'd love to work!!!

i mean, how hard can it be to actually tattoo someone?

[Graeme]

Someone needs an asskicking.

It's Glasgow, not hard to get much worse than that there.

[Delicious]

ugh fuck that guy... seriously, how did anyone even believe it? You can spot a Valerie Vargas tattoo almost immeadiately! Same with the others that he took, all so recognizable in style it seems so lazy just to photoshop every thing the way you want it... I hate thieves.

[Dan S]

It's Glasgow, not hard to get much worse than that there.

Good. Nothing like an old-fashioned boot party to get a yobbo's mind right.

[BaileyJunior]

I think we had the same guy email us at old town tattoo in edinburgh. we gave it a pass because there are a few sheets of your flash in the shop and we just thought he was copying your work not stealing it. He will be getting what is coming to him soon no doubt. ill spread this around up here and i hope this grade a douche is out on his arse soon.

[Deb Yarian]

What a shame

[kevinm]

Tim Hendricks was on Twitter a few days ago complaining of the same thing, is this a common problem for top artists?

[Jeff Tarinelli]

Ive had pics stolen out of my Portfolio and reported to have been seen in some piece of shit hacks book the next city over.

I'm sorry this happened to you its super frustrating to say the least.

Its one thing to be out in public and see your custom work flat out plagiarized on a another person, which has also happened in my former home town, but stealing pics and claiming other work as your won deserves old school justice. Bring back Spiderweb's tactics, lol

J.k kinda.

[Steve]

If it's any consolation, this LST thread is now the first result in google for the phrase 'Paul Cramman Tattoo'

https://www.google.com/search?q=Paul+Cramman+tattoo&pws=0

..above his own facebook page..