Good watercolor paper (many variations depending on how you gonna handle this medium) and the most expensive and fine brush you can afford. quality of the pigments is not that important.
A washed area, surrounded by darker shades can become a lightened form.
It is a direct, very fast, spontaneous medium.
However there are some other techniques, converting the fast watercolor sketch to a very slow painting adventure. With spectacular results. Watercolor drybrush. Not my favorite but I use it sometimes, in certain detailed areas.
Thank you Blender Matt
Good watercolor paper (many variations depending on how you gonna handle this medium) and the most expensive and fine brush you can afford. quality of the pigments is not that important.
A washed area, surrounded by darker shades can become a lightened form.
It is a direct, very fast, spontaneous medium.
However there are some other techniques, converting the fast watercolor sketch to a very slow painting adventure. With spectacular results. Watercolor drybrush. Not my favorite but I use it sometimes, in certain detailed areas.
Other procedures, involving a heavy handmade paper (Arches-France) keeping it wet as you paint, having a knife and almost removing layers of this paper (it has a lot of layers, it is thick as a plaster on a wall), where the colorized pulp becomes your real medium, this is among my favorites. But, it is a really crazy technique.
First @michalis Nice work watercolor is not an easy medium to work with.
Second Michalis please expound on where to get that watercolor paper and what to look for like it should be called Arches-France and any art store or this store will have it.
Thanks
http://www.cansonstudio.com/en/arches-watercolor-400lb-850gsm-rough-22x30-sheet.html
I was talking about the rough 850 gm sheet
This paper is expensive!
However, I never lost a sheet.
If I’m not happy with the artwork, leave it in water for 30 mins and wash it. It gets a warmer tone, that’s all.
I left a sheet over a night once. It was still there, nothing bad happened
You realize that it isn’t about some paper, it is about the Arches Aquarelle 640 gm.
Arches is an old traditional paper maker. Now it belongs to Canson.
Lovin the contrast in your watercolors! keep it up.
Thank you Jassar
Yeah, contrast, easy to achieve it in a watercolor medium. Close to inks.
A portrait then, on a nice sheet of arches paper.
that is a beautiful portrait, feels very spontanous, dynamic and also accurate capture of personality. love it.
michalis, I love your brush texture here, and you get a lot out of the strokes 
I can feel the curvature of his face without having to touch it. Spot on, Michalis.
Thanks Doris, Craig, Kris
I should record a watercolor session, I can’t figure how.
“a lot out of the strokes”
well, it seems impossible but it happens. LOL
I watched a lot of silly tuts on you tube. How to paint using watercolors.
Nothing to do with my vision.
Closer to these…
the best watercolor I have seen. Vergina tombs (Philip of Machedonia tomb? maybe…maybe not, but who cares)
OK, it is a fresco. Still, the technique is a watercolor thing. Rapid, direct, spontaneous painting.
hey, michalis, i think you mentioned once you have an ipad. if it is ipad2 or newer then you have a built in camera that can record videos. so put the ipad on an easel where it can see your canvas, start the record function and paint away… then take the video into your mac and compress and scale it with quicktime viewer if necessary.
Doris,
The iPad is a retina new one alright. I own a much better camera after all.
The problem is how to light the scene.
How to set it up.
How to forget the whole thing as I paint.
LOL
yes, the last point is the most difficult one, all others can be settled…lol
I too would love to see a video of you working. There is such warmth and detail in these and I would love to see a piece as it evolves. Watercolour and ink have always been my favourite painting styles - but I just could never get the hang of it.
Well
Go digital, just for fun
A blender UV/texture painting.
Awesome, michalis, simply beautiful - I love the texture you get here
Thanks Craig.
Textures via projections (stencil)
A little smear brush then.
Well, I would offer to be a cameraman but I will be even more distracting I guess 
Beautiful creations. The digital blender creation amazed me the most truly awesome.
Michalis - Love your style and watercolors in general, great work!