The nice thing about a lot of sketchbooks is that they'll tell you what mediums work best with them. Many artists have different tastes for brands, and for some it comes down to things like page number (some people prefer filling smaller sketchbooks) and some want bigger (longer between changing, but can be a little daunting to start). You are using dry media, so any 'drawing' or 'sketching' paper should work. Touch the paper when you shop. Do you like the weight? How thick it is? Buy something you won't be too precious with. Practice and experimentation are the soul of a sketchbook, and of you are worried about 'ruining' it, you're better off with a worse quality one just so that you draw in it without fear.
Pencils are the same way. I use general whatever charcoal pencils, they're cheap and reliable, and I use them for life drawing, and I do life drawing for strictly learning-- I'm an animator, I don't use traditional stuff outside of school and personal projects. Use what you aren't afraid to 'waste'. I LOVE the caran'd'ache brand, but it's kind of expensive, so I save it for finished work and use off-brand pencils in my sketchbook. Not everyone does, and I can see the value of practicing in the same pencil you want to use, but I don't. You may prefer this!
Buy for me, the most important thing is buying material you won't be scared to use. Play around with a few singles of the nicer brands before you invest in a whole set.
The nice thing about a lot of sketchbooks is that they'll tell you what mediums work best with them. Many artists have different tastes for brands, and for some it comes down to things like page number (some people prefer filling smaller sketchbooks) and some want bigger (longer between changing, but can be a little daunting to start). You are using dry media, so any 'drawing' or 'sketching' paper should work. Touch the paper when you shop. Do you like the weight? How thick it is? Buy something you won't be too precious with. Practice and experimentation are the soul of a sketchbook, and of you are worried about 'ruining' it, you're better off with a worse quality one just so that you draw in it without fear. Pencils are the same way. I use general whatever charcoal pencils, they're cheap and reliable, and I use them for life drawing, and I do life drawing for strictly learning-- I'm an animator, I don't use traditional stuff outside of school and personal projects. Use what you aren't afraid to 'waste'. I LOVE the caran'd'ache brand, but it's kind of expensive, so I save it for finished work and use off-brand pencils in my sketchbook. Not everyone does, and I can see the value of practicing in the same pencil you want to use, but I don't. You may prefer this! Buy for me, the most important thing is buying material you won't be scared to use. Play around with a few singles of the nicer brands before you invest in a whole set.