Character and Narrative - Traditional techniques in modern animation

Traditional techniques may be slowly being taken over by modern digital animating techniques but I think there will always be a place for traditional animation as a tool for getting to grips with the basics and solidifying the 12 principles. Even something as simple as animating a pendulum swing, a bouncing ball or a basic walk cycle is an invaluable step in learning the principles before moving on and applying them to a more specialist type of animation. There is no quicker or more accessible form of moving image than the flipbook - possibly the fastest tool an animator has to share an idea or concept, and while I don't think it is strictly necessary for an animator to be able to draw well (especially animators in the CG field) I think traditional techniques such as the line test will not go out of fashion as a quick way of previewing and tweaking with the timing of a shot or scene.