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# Chair Painting Exercise: A Loose Watercolor and Mixed Media Workout
- URL: https://craftedbyrobert.com/chair-painting-exercise-watercolor-mixed-media/
- Published: 2026-11-03T13:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T13:00:01.000Z
- Description: Try this chair painting exercise to loosen up. Paint one simple subject several times, starting with watercolor and adding ink, crayon, graphite, and acrylic.
- Author: Robert Joyner
- Tags: Mixed Media

Progressions are basically calisthenics for your creativity. A simple subject, different approaches, lots of reps.

In this chair painting exercise, I paint chairs several times, starting loose with watercolor and adding more materials with each pass.

### Why chairs?

Chairs are kind of perfect for this. They’re simple, everywhere, and full of angles, but nobody expects a chair to look perfect. The chair doesn’t care, and honestly, neither should you.

### Set 1: The warm-up

Start super loose with watercolor, with no pressure. Just move paint around. Think of this as your warm-up set, with no heavy lifting.

[![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ee/ee/eeee3f8a-028a-4efa-99e3-5af9bc505602/content/images/2026/10/learn-mixed-media-painting-4.webp)](https://craftedbyrobert.com/learn-mixed-media/) 

****Want to Create Loose Mixed Media Art, Slacker?** Learn the fundamentals, experiment with collage and layers, and develop your own expressive style.

[👉 Learn Mixed Media With Me ](https://craftedbyrobert.com/learn-mixed-media/) 

### Set 2 and beyond: Add more materials

Later passes can layer in more. Add whatever you want:

- Ink
- Crayon
- Graphite
- Acrylic

Throw the kitchen sink at it. Each set gets a little different and maybe a little more intentional. You’re not trying to make one perfect painting or sketch. You’re exploring the same idea over and over.

Personally, I like to start a little tighter and get looser and more gestural with each one.

### Why this helps

If you’ve been ignoring your art lately and feeling a little stiff, this is a great exercise. Simple subject, multiple passes, different media. That’s where a lot of growth happens. I can’t promise it’ll drop a few pounds, but I do think it improves your mental and creative health.

For another take on progressions, see [loose painting progression: tight to loose](https://craftedbyrobert.com/loose-painting-progression-exercise-rooster/). For drawing versions, try [how to draw loose](https://craftedbyrobert.com/how-to-draw-loose-construct-deconstruct/) and [loosen up your drawing](https://craftedbyrobert.com/loosen-up-your-drawing-range-of-motion/).

### Try it yourself

1. Pick one simple object, like a chair.
2. Paint it loosely in watercolor.
3. Do it again, adding ink, crayon, graphite, or acrylic.
4. Repeat 3-5 times, getting looser each time.
5. Lay them side by side.

Learn Structure. Paint Loose.

**Construct. Deconstruct. Explore. Repeat.**

### Chair painting exercise FAQ

**What is a progression exercise?**  
Painting the same subject several times with different approaches or materials, usually getting looser each time.

**Why paint chairs?**  
They’re simple, familiar, and forgiving, so you can focus on experimenting instead of getting them right.

**What materials can I use?**  
Watercolor, ink, crayon, graphite, and acrylic. Mix whatever you have on the same page.

**How many versions should I do?**  
Three to five is a good set. Each one should be a little different from the last.