In 1895, drawn to illustration, probably due to financial problems, and he started to produce work for publications such as Revue Illustrée, L'Image, L'Estampe Moderne, and L'Almanach des Bibliophiles.

He started as a painter in atelier of Pierre-Victor Galland, who entrusted him with the decorative motifs that would frame drawings of the Panthéon de Paris.

Bellery-Desfontaines gradually achieved notoriety as an ambitious decorative artist, designing tapestries and furniture adorned with ornate floral and vegetal motifs for wealthy patrons.

He made numerous commercial illustrations, created the joker for the playing cards company Fossorier Amar et Cie., and typography for Fonderie G. Peignot et Fils, including the typefaces Bellery-Desfontaines-large and Bellery-Desfontaines-étroit.

Bellery-Desfontaines died in Saint-Martin-aux-Buneaux (Normandy) at age 42, leaving a vast production of unfinished artistic works.