19-year-old sister refuses to let her 15-year-old brother take her artwork and claim it as his own: 'My brother scratched out my initial and write his own, as well as writing his name on the back of the canvas.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Feb 5, 2026 8:00 AM EST

If they have the same art teacher, she's going to see right through this.

As the oldest child, I never considered going through my siblings' old assignments, making a couple of changes, and turning them in as if they were my own. I don't think my younger sister could have done that to me, even if she wanted to, because by the time we were in high school, most of our papers were submitted online rather than on paper. Moreover, she probably didn't want to copy my papers anyway. They were not worth writing home about, and she has way too much integrity to be engaging in something like that. 

One person who was willing and eager to copy their older siblings' past work was Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He procrastinated on writing his history paper about the 1900s, and he paid his older brother, Rodrick, five figures in Mom Bucks (don't ask) for access to one of his middle school history papers. Greg was convinced that their dad had typed up all of Rodrick's history papers, making them of quality, but it was clear that wasn't the case. Rodrick gave Greg a poem titled "A Hundred Years Ago," in which he contemplated whether dinosaurs roamed the earth a hundred years ago, rendering it unusable for plagiarizing. 

Aside from the obvious ethical issues, using your older sibling's old assignments is usually more work than it's worth. As with most plagiarism, it takes as much effort to just write something from scratch as it does to get away with it.

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  • A woman sitting in front of an easel painting
    via Wesley Tingey (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The brother in this story didn't even try to be sneaky by stealing his older sister's artwork. He asked her permission to use it, she said no, and he had a fit. He had already put his name on her artwork in the past, and she wasn't going to let him do that again.

  • Am I wrong for not letting my brother use my art for school?

    I (19 F) have been drawing all my life. It's always been a passion/hobby of mine, and it's just fun for me overall.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • Today, my brother (15 M) came in my room and asked if he could borrow two of my drawings.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • Suspicious, I asked "Are you gonna say they're yours?" and he said yes. Frankly, I wasn't gonna let him use them at all, but to give proper context, he has stolen my art before.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • A few years ago, I painted a portrait of a tiger's eye (very basic, I know) and I put my initial at the bottom.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • A close-up of a tigers eye
    via Tarryn Grignet

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My brother would later scratch out my initial and write his own, as well as writing his name on the back of the canvas.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • Not wanting a repeat of that AND me just genuinely not wanting him taking credit for my art, I said no.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • In response, he asked "Why do you gotta be such a bitch?" and pulled the “If it was reversed I would've helped you" card.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • A teenage boy in a sweater and tie posing for a picture
    via Daniil Onischenko

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I feel kinda bad now, AM i a bitch for not letting him?
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • probably_crafting NTA. He should do his own work, not steal yours. Can you get your parents involved? They should be aware that he is trying to steal, plagerize and cheat to get out of having to do his own work.
    via u/probably_crafting
  • sn4ppl3_ Original Poster's Reply Yeah, but my mom'd probably just give him a slap on the wrist, or give me a sort of passive aggressive look to signal that it's not that serious or that i should help him
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • YogurtclosetFair5742 NTA, but your little brother needs to do his own work. Not steal yours.
    via u/YogurtclosetFair5742
  • sn4ppl3_ Original Poster's Reply Ik, but i feel like i should've helped him :(
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • shayberrie Then the guilt trip is working. Keep in mind, he would never actually help you out. It's just something he's saying to get his own way.
    via u/shayberrie
  • sn4ppl3_ Original Poster's Reply Yeah, you're right. He just does this kinda thing a lot, yk?
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • probably_crafting That's not fair. He should be able to do his own work. To compromise you could help him find a reference image online for what he needs? And tell him to use that? I'm sorry you're in this situation.
    via u/probably_crafting
  • sn4ppl3_ Original Poster's Reply It's ok, no worries man. It just is what it is
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • NoAlternative9113 NTA. Your work, you deserve the credit. Definitely let your parents know. Can you lock up your art so he can't access it when you're not around?
    via u/NoAlternative9113
  • sn4ppl3_ Original Poster's Reply Not really, but all the sketchbooks i have out in the open are old, and he wanted recent drawing to use, so i doubt he'll use my old stuff
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • shayberrie Then it's time you put your foot down. It seems to have worked before, that's why he keeps doing it.
    via u/shayberrie
  • sn4ppl3_ Original Poster's Reply I have a few times, he just doesn't care.
    via u/sn4ppl3_
  • shayberrie NTA if he wants credit for art, he can do it himself. It's not on you to help him cheat through school. Also, keep in mind, most of the time when people say they'd do it for you, no they really wouldn't, they're just trying to make you feel guilty.
    via u/shayberrie
  • Illustrious-Network5 NTA. What exactly is wrong with your brother that he thinks plagiarism is acceptable? Or your parents for that matter? I assume this is for an art class, right? That he's been participating in and turning assignments into? If your art is significantly better to the point that he wants to use it for an assignment, that's not going to work. Any art teacher with two brain cells to rub together is going to be able to compare this project to what he's done before and determine th
    via u/Illustrious-Network5
  • ADHDmom75 NTA. Your brother is being lazy and just wants the grade.
    via u/ADHDmom75

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