America used to have great art schools, illustration was the primary form of visual communication in advertising and there was plenty of work. In the 60s photography overtook illustration, fine arts had long since been moving towards increasingly abstract forms of expression that were buoyed by the desire for America to push back against Soviet Realism (art movement/style). Many of the old art schools shut down due to the influence of photography and many of the ones that remained aimed at producing new Jackson Pollocks and whatnot. In short, a lot of pedagogy was lost. The students that graduated back then without learning traditional representational art (because it was old fashioned) went on to become teachers themselves. Places like China and Russia still teach according to old methods, Russia especially was able to maintain the teaching tradition without the same interruptions that happened in the West. Art schools in the West are notorious for accepting and passing anyone that will pay and Federal Aid Eligibility and the permit to award Bachelors degrees requires forcing unrelated 'General Education' classes which isn't required at most colleges outside of the US (you spend the entirety of your college years working on just your major). Schools in China and Russia can be more selective in the admissions process and focus entirely on teaching the craft. There are also more skilled teachers teaching at all levels (like middle school and high school) because they were taught better, while a lot of art teachers in the US (jr high level+) lack those same skills because they were never taught and thus can't mentor their young students.