A painter of portraits and figure subjects, among them ‘The Annunciation’, which draws on Domenico Ghirlandaio's fresco at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Stronach was strongly influenced by Sandro Botticelli, early Italian fresco painters and the Pre-Raphaelites, though his commitment to mural painting and stained glass design is also evident throughout his work.

His chosen style and subject reflects the wider Celtic Revival movement prevalent in Scotland's arts scene at the time, and is visible in the work of other artists such as John Duncan (painter) and Phoebe Anna Traquair.

Seen as separated from the Celtic Revival, Stronach is today known to have been influenced by the work of Max Klinger, Mikhail Nesterov and Franz von Stuck, and come to be associated with symbolism.

He always wore a high-winged collar and black stock, such as Walter Scott is seen wearing in his portraits, a very waisted jacket, narrow black-and-white checked trousers and white spats.

A portrait of Ancell Stronach painted by Andrew Law was lost in the fire in the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow School of Art on 23 May 2014.