well, it's only impressively difficult if you really care.  you wouldn't mind not having that kind of control because, by your own account, you're not an artist.  painting blind when you're not a stickler for an exact look isn't difficult.  and it's not hard, it's just time consuming. 

it's kind of like you saying because someone's painting with a brush on scatter, they don't really need to see what they're doing real time.  or specifically control hue, size, shape, etc.  well, some people won't care at all, some people would go nuts, and most people will fall in the middle. 

edited to add: and whether or not people would like the result is also very personal.  there's a lot of people who would, and a lot of people who'd find the look too automated.  there's a reason people like Stonemason get lots of jobs in the game industry.  and why programs like Zbrush are so popular.