I've mentioned before that sometimes my old animation school friends and instructors meet up for late-night coffee, which turns into rousing debates on the topic of animation. The last time this happened, the debate turned to the topic of art vs. animation, and whether they should be considered separately or together. Some argued that one must have some measure of artistic talent to be able to animate; others argued that with the advent of technology, it's really not that necessary. Others still said it's not the art style or quality, but the consistency of the animation, while still others (hey, we're a large group) said really you don't need any talent other than to be able to trace. What do you think?

• I don't think you need artistic talent to animate.
• You must have some measure of artistry and style to animate.
• It depends on the animation and whether art quality is a factor in the style.
• Not really; computer animation takes care of the artistic part.
• Other/will explain in comments.

Current Results

Last month, I moved from Houston to Chicago. In the move, a rather sad thing happened: my light table, my trusty little Artograph light tracer, died. Not only did the surface crack, but the internal bulb died. I've had that little portable light table since art school, and it's always served me well; now, however, I'd like to replace it with a bit of an upgrade. I'm looking to spend more than the $35 I spent on the original Artograph, but less than $250; I'd still like something portable/lap-sized that I can curl up with comfortably. I've found a few prospects that I'd like to try out, but what would you recommend? What's your favorite brand/style/size of light table for home animation?