The question of digital art education — art school vs self-taught vs online courses — is one I have personal experience with from both sides, having done two years of art school before switching to self-directed study.

What art school gave me: structured exposure to art history, regular critique from people with different aesthetic sensibilities, a peer cohort whose work pushed me, and an understanding of the professional fine art context.

What it didn't give me: technical digital skills, understanding of commercial illustration markets, portfolio-building strategy for digital work, any meaningful business or professional skills.

Self-directed study gave me those technical and commercial skills faster, because I could target exactly what I needed. What it didn't give me was the breadth of art history and the regular peer critique.

My current recommendation: self-directed study for technical skill development, online courses for specific technique gaps, and some deliberate investment in peer critique communities and art history. You can construct the advantages of art school without the cost and time commitment, but it requires intentional construction rather than passive enrollment.