“Successfull people” as you say literally paint or draw on anything they like as it is a matter of taste. There might be some guidelines like if you draw/paint something with fine details or softness like a women/child portrait then it can be good to avoid paper with rough textures. But this is not an obligation. The paper and medium is just a tool that you’ll use in order to create what you want to create. I don’t know where your are in terms of Artistry level but when you start and if you have the money it can motivate you to use materials from artists you like but this is not a nescessity. In the end you are the only one who has to try the materials and choose what suits you best. Hope this helps :)

I think these two videos might answer your questions Drawing Supplies I Use in My Videos Drawing Supplies I Use for Longer Drawings The newsprint Stan uses is not available in Swedish stores, and I didn't like the newsprint I found in the art stores here, so I've used large sheets of printer paper instead :). I can't tell if it's better than the Strathmore newsprint, but it has worked fine for me when sketching with conté. Plus, it's marked as environmental friendly and doesn't seem to yellow with time. It has served me well for 4 years and I plan to stick with it for practice :)