>>3228027IMO it's very easy to tell someone who went to school apart from an auto-didact. Art school exposes you to a lot of different styles and concepts that you'd have a hard time learning on your own. Getting a high quality education from professors and working professionals is invaluable. Also critiques and being around artists really helps you improve the way you look at things.
Of course there are very talented/confident people who do well without school but 9/10 people can't do it. If you don't want to spend the money for school find yourself a mentor and buy a lot of art history / photo books.
>t. Art school TA 
