Sketching Tools

Graph paper can be handy but simple plain paper will suffice for logo designs, I'd say.

RE pens/pencils - don't need to be anything expensive or specialist. I tend to sketch out with a HB or slightly finer H2 pencil, then use a fine tip black sharpie for going over detail. Try different medias. You may surprise yourself by using different media :)

I'm no artist, but my preferred pen is a Pilot G2. They're cheap, and they ink flow will hold up quite well to rough paper and fast sketching. For pencils, I can't stand traditional, so I use a lead holder from Mars Staedtler. I actually have two so I can switch between a softer and hard lead quickly. The main advantage to using a lead holder is the ease of keeping a precise point with a lead pointer.

A good strategy is to sketch your design in pencil, then go back and finish it out with something like a Sakura Pigma Mircon pen. Then you can erase the pencil with a kneaded eraser, and you're left with flawless rich ink on the paper. A store like DickBlick will have just about anything if you don't have a local store.

Also, http://dribbble.com & http://www.behance.net/ are amazing resources for inspiration!

Thanks for the tips guys :-)