Lee Sang-jwa was a court painter who was active in the 16th century during the Joseon Dynasty. He was particularly good at drawing figures, and there are now five underdrawings of Arhat paintings attributed to him. Arhat means Buddhist monk who has attained enlightenment. This study examined the composition of the icons and their contents, the purpose and use of the sketches, and the values and meanings of these drawings. This is an aspect that has not been specifically explained in previous studies. BR As a result, it was found that Lee Sang-jwa visualized various aspects of a practitioner with magical powers. Also, by analyzing the records, patterns, and screen sizes written in the drawings, it was confirmed that this paintings were sketches before actual production. The value and meaning of this painting can be found largely in two aspects. One is the tradition of iconography and the new trend of expression techniques. In other words, while these paintings were composed by actively accepting iconography produced in Goryeo, the expression of the figures follows the newly established style in Joseon. The other is the meaning of this work in the Daoist and Buddhist figure paintings in the early Joseon Dynasty. These paintings by Lee Sang-jwa are very specific and realistic in Nahan’s posture and expression. There are few existing works of the Daoist and Buddhist figure paintings produced in the early Joseon Dynasty. Although this painting is a sketch, it gives a glimpse into Lee Sang-jwa’s personality and reveals an aspect of figure painting at the time. In this context, it is judged that these paintings cannot be taken lightly.