Ugh. Sorry, you just reminded me...I used to be so against digital art and was all YOU DANG KIDS AND YOUR NEWFANGLED TABLETS. And I realized I haven't made a real media piece in almost two years =X

I (used to) swear by bristol board...s'pensive, but it holds ink well, which were usually Micron Pigmas cuz they have diff sizes (never got the hang of brush tips). It's durable and effectively two-sided for b/w stuff.
It unfortunately absorbs markers like crazy, though, so I went through those fast. I'd usually use Prismacolor markers, not because they're particularly good, but because they're very easy to find and I got accustomed to the color breakdown. Sucks for lighter shades though. So not to say I recommend it.

I...can't paint, so can't help you there!