No, definitely not just the math, although that clearly helps. Very strong drafting skills, and also obviously a long attention span and attention to detail and precision. Does she have amazing handwriting?
I've spent a fair bit of time thinking about what makes a child artistically talented and what artistic talent in a child is. There is an eye for good design. I saw this in preschool with DD. All the kids would do the same project--gluing precut circles on construction paper, for instance, and I would walk up to hers and admire it because it was the coolest-looking, without knowing it was hers (name on the back). There is drafting skill and patience. DD is quite good at this, but not EXTREMELY good--some kids are incredible. We also notice that she does not have nearly the ability with 3-D forms as with pencil and paper, whereas some children are more able to "make it happen" in 3 dimensions. Then there is the creative spark, which is surely the one that is the hardest (perhaps impossible) to teach. DD definitely has this, although at times I worry brecause I see her stuff being more derivative due to peer influence. But you know...time, and all that.
