Cryptic crossword clue
Copies some painters might make 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word IMPERSONATES

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Copies" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case copies = impersonates.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does IMPERSONATES mean?

IMPERSONATES verb
  1. To pretend to be (a different person); to assume the identity of.
  2. To operate with the permissions of a different user account.
  3. To manifest in corporeal form; to personify.

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