I am, predominantly, a traditional artist. I use all sizes of paper and/or canvas. Large flat bed scanners are ridiculously expensive. I used to work for a magazine publisher that had a couple that were $50,000 each. You can scan in large pieces in sections and piece together in Photoshop. I do this sometimes, always using layers to prevent mistakes. However, sometimes it just makes more sense to take a picture of a finished work. You can get a decent digital camera and set up a photo stand to take pictures of your work for not much money.
As for medium, I use graphite in an array of lead hardnesses (6B-6H and ebony), Prismacolor colored pencils, Conte crayon and chalk pastel, watercolors, and ink. When I use ink, I use brushes. I never did like the mechanical pens that much. I used to use Prismacolor markers, but that is an expensive habit to keep up. I can get a wide color assortment of Higgins inks for half the price of a 48 pack of Prismacolor markers, and they will last so much longer. When I am working in ink, I will either use watercolor brushes or bamboo brushes. Bamboo brushes are dirt cheap ($2 or less per brush) and create such a nice effect!
As for framework, I create some basic framework sometimes. I don't do the whole structural framework that the drawing texts have made famous. When it comes to removing graphite, it all depends on what eraser you are using. The key ones to have (and this is such a minimal investment-most are under $1 each-so I would advise to spend the money here) include: white vinyl, pink pearl, kneaded and gum. The white vinyl and gum erasers are great for removing pencil marks. The pink pearl is less to erase than it is to blend. It is a good drawing tool. The kneaded is great for removing a small area of pencil with optimum control. These too can be used to blend with. When I tell people that the kneaded and pink pearl are for drawing and not erasing, they often seem confused. I guess I should say that they are meant to optimize your drawing, rather than take away from it. Pink pearls are wonderful for creating hair detail. You can add the illusion of shine or bring in light effects with your kneaded eraser. Neither are good for erasing large areas the way white vinyl or gum erasers are.
As for paper, it all depends if you are using dry or wet media. A good watercolor paper for watercolor or ink is hard to beat. If I am working in acrylics or oils (which I really don't do much at all anymore), I will use a canvas or wood surface. Same with tempura or casein paint. For dry media, your options are wide open. Bristol cover or Hammermill index are decent. Stratford makes some good multi-purpose papers, many are recycled and pretty affordable. You can always use card stock, as it is similar to Bristol cover or Hammermill index. It all comes down to what you are willing to spend. If you are working in mixed media that combines wet and dry media, go with a higher end multi-purpose. Stora Enso makes a linen paper that is suitable for this purpose and it costs a lot less than most watercolor paper.