Painting - after drink artist goes to it (8)
I believe the answer is:
portrait
'painting' is the definition.
(portrait is a kind of painting)
'drink artist goes to it' is the wordplay.
'drink' becomes 'port' (port is a kind of drink**).
'artist' becomes 'ra' (Royal Academician, member of Royal Academy of Arts).
'goes to' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'port'+'ra'+'it'='PORTRAIT'
'after' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for portrait that I've seen before include "One picture" , "Painted likeness of a person" , "Image of a person" , "(Person's) painting" , "Type of painting" .)