He worked primarily with pen and watercolour to capture the social habits of the Dutch middle class. His approach was direct and lacked the stiff formality of traditional portraiture. He documented the visits of friends and the lessons of his students with precision. Because these drawings were personal records, he felt no pressure to idealise his subjects or follow the rigid artistic standards of the period.

The appeal of Andriessen's work for modern collectors lies in his honest social observation. His drawings offer a sense of connection to the past through shared domestic experiences. The informal nature of his work provides a relaxed, historical aesthetic for modern interiors. These drawings document the nineteenth century without the heavy artifice of oil painting.