I'd really like to try my luck at animation, and i've been playing around with CGI using Blender which was fun (and i still plan to use it), but i'm really interested in tradional animation as well. Straight up pencil, paper and pegbar! However, I know there's much more needed than just that and the problem is I don't know what. For instance, I'm pretty sure that when an animator is finished with his drawings and pencil tests, he scans his pictures or uses some other method of getting them into the computer. But how was that animator able to do pencil tests without going through the painfully long process of scanning? Did he use an overhead camera to take each frame and then digitally assemble the frames?
Another thing is how the whole process goes from tools (pencils, field guides, etc) to the actual workflow. Now I plan to buy a couple books around the subject and stuff from this site as well but I want to be absolutely sure. Any help anyone?


And last note, I found this site, http://www.chromacolour.com/store/animation-home-ca.htm

Should i get supplies from them? As well as this starting kit, which I thought would be good candidate for my birthday (one with the lightbox)

http://www.chromacolour.com/store/animation-home-ca.htm

It looks all self explanatory I guess, but I'd appreciate the help, thanks.