In today's art world, it appears that the more education and training you receive as an artist, the less likely your paintings will sell. I say that only in light of the fact that a recent painting from an untrained artist named Basquiat sold for over 100 million dollars.
This is nothing new as history will tell you that American artists in the 1950's were creating paintings with very little formal training and became very successful including Jackson Pollack who starting dripping paint right on the canvas.
What is interesting about Basquiat (who died in 1987 at age 27) is that his work represents no one- past, present or future. I know of no artist who said they were inspired by his work and no art movement came about as a result of his instant success.
If this young painter enrolled in art school in the fall of 1978, the structure, course load, and student body would have destroyed him. As the story is told, Basquiat was living out of a cardboard box at this time and had no means of paying for art school even if he wanted to go.
Which brings me to this point- If you want to be a million dollar artist, skip art school because it will ruin you.