Art therapy for me was a combination of talking, drawing, sculpting, some arts n crafts, lots of coloring and a lot of emotional processing and acceptance. I think each art therapist may approach things differently. My T was not a specialist in art therapy but suggested art as a way for me to control ptsd flashbacks and triggers. I did a lot of drawing and clay sculpting in session while talking. About 2 years into using art, I was really struggling with a few memories and processing my emotions, mostly anger. We switched to "guided coloring" and using my colored pictures as visual grounding options during ptsd flashbacks. I would color the same picture while experiencing different emotions or while focusing on what I wanted to feel in a given situation.
I'm not sure if the talking or the art helped me the most. I only know that I wouldn't be the stronger, more stable person I am today without it. Having art in session was enough of a distraction to prevent a ptsd triggered episode, but not so much of a distraction that I couldn't focus on dealing with my emotions.
Good luck with whatever you choose. I hope my experience helps you.