His style emerged from the Neo-Romantic movement in Britain during the 1940s. He favoured stark, often unsettling depictions of the human form and the natural world. Figures in his drawings and prints, such as those in Boy with Lamb or Child with Cat, possess a heavy, sculptural quality even on paper. He used line to define volume and weight, often stripping away decorative elements to focus on the tension within a pose.

Modern collectors value Ayrton for his intellectual rigour and the psychological depth of his subjects. His prints avoid the sentimentality often found in mid-century British art. Instead, they offer a sense of gravity and quiet observation that fits well in contemporary interiors. Works like The Lost Generation demonstrate his ability to capture complex human emotions through precise, controlled draughtsmanship.