I do agree with your comment to some degree. Art is an expression of creativity therefore the OP isn't necessarily "art", BUT it does showcase some good craftsmanship skills which I believe should be acknowledged. A copy can be art but it depends on how you do it. If you use a grid like the OP did, you are only showing you're rendering and observation skills. If you don't use a grid, then you show skills like proportion, depth, composition, rendering etc.