-nods sagely- Those are very good tips, indeed. Especially about the inks. India ink was an extreme fear of mine but once I got it under control ( went through many pictures to learn control ) it's gorgeous. That rich color always makes anything stand out beautifully.
My most used medium would have to Ebony Pencil though. I love the different shades you can get just by simply pressing down hard or light.
The only thing different I would say would be mechanical pencils. I hate them. True - you don't have to get up and sharpen it a thousand times but you can't press down hard with them at all or they'll snap. X_X
But I have to whole heartedly agree with you on erasers. Don't settle for the ones on the ends of pencils. They don't work worth anything. I use the big gum erasers. ^_^-