Sultan’s artworks are rich in color and texture. He is known for his iconic, abstract poppy flowers. The poppies are large in scale and overlay a minimal background, often made from tar. This Mixografia print, "Yellow Flowers, 2003" exhibits poppies in their most simple shapes: Sultan discards the leaves and stems and focuses on filling the space with the marvelous color of the petal. Often times the flowers expand off the page, but the focal point lies within the delicate flocking of the poppy’s pistil. Sultan’s artworks are often inspired by materials, such as linoleum, wall spackle, and tar. His use of these and other unconventional materials often associate him with artists from the Arte Povera movement of the 1960s. In the background of Sultan’s prints, Mixografia’s paper and ink imitate the appearance of tar.

Donald Sultan's work is included in the permanent collection of institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas.