At thirteen, he met Don José Ballester, the husband of a neighbor in Colmenar, who owned the Cafe de la Concepción in Madrid.

[2] During his formative years, Checa was directed by Alejandro Ferrant, Federico de Madrazo, and Manuel Dominguez [es].

[clarification needed] After completing his studies, he applied for another pension for the Academy in Rome, but it was awarded to Mariano Benlliure.

In 1889, he settled there and participated in the World's Fair, held in Paris that year, with his painting In the Church, which was awarded third prize.

Checa now split his time between Paris and Bagnères-de-Bigorre, the small town in the Hautes-Pyrénées where his wife's family lived.

He never forgot his origins, and returned to Spain on several occasions to spend time resting and visiting friends and relatives in Colmenar de Oreja.

At this time he received a commission from the Union of Thermal Baths, located in Bagnerès-de-Bigorre, to produce advertising posters.

During the summer months, he painted two murals in the chancel of the parish of Santa Maria Maggiore; on the left wall was the Annunciation and, on the right, a Presentation of the Virgin.

He published his Treatise on Perspective, won a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle for The Last Days of Pompeii and painted the small dome of "Le Train Bleu", a restaurant at the Gare de Lyon that was decorated by numerous contemporary artists.

He made this trip to settle his wife's financial affairs, but, after learning of the important art market that was developing there, he extended his stay for several months.

There, he met Juan Zorrilla de San Martín, who suggested that Checa illustrate his new book, Tabaré, which was published in 1904.