In 1865, he opened a drawing studio with his friend Méssoniat, while working as a draftsman at the Agnès, Bresson et Cie silk factory. In 1896, he gave up this activity to devote himself to painting landscapes, mainly scenes from Lyon, Brittany and the Mediterranean.
Baudin's landscapes are sometimes characterized by an almost excessive brio, with paint applied in thick layers and distinct colors. His sumptuous flower paintings display the same brilliance and bravura, but his work becomes more subdued when he paints nudes or landscapes with symbolic connotations.