The human being is the central theme in Richild Holt's artistic work. A combination of realistic accuracy in the figurative representation and an expressive style characterizes the artist's sensitive, honest (self-)portraits.
The faces and bodies are modeled in strong light-dark and color contrasts. The figures are set against a reduced and highly abstracted background. The portraits are characterized by emotional intensity, tense dynamics and great intimacy.

Her nudes are also sensitive portraits in which she achieves authenticity rather than idealized representation. Appearance and personality are expressed in the tradition and aspirations of portrait painting since the High Renaissance. The viewer encounters an intense physicality and vulnerability. In its immediate presence, the body simultaneously presents itself as a carrier and visible expression of experiences, emotions and social connotations, of identity. Just as in the blue hour of evening twilight, the exterior and interior of those portrayed shine with equal brightness.

The painting process is accompanied by a close exchange between the sitter and the artist, in the course of which a portrait is created that captures the personality of the subject and translates it onto the canvas. Richild Holt describes these joint portrait sessions as "the most intense conversation imaginable".