Posted by Rachel Westall on 26 May 2025
The year 1922 marked a turning point for Pébéo with the arrival of Claudius Chaveau. Originally from Lyon, where he studied chemistry, Claudius Chaveau had cut his teeth in the family silk industry, before moving on to the laboratories of the Lumière brothers. A young visionary engineer, he was contacted by the administrator of La Pébéo (Dubost) and would become general manager within a few short years. Driven by invention and a desire to surpass himself in the service of creation, Claudius Chaveau breathed life into the young company and inspired the founding values which have since been passed down from generation to generation.
How has the company evolved?
For centuries, artists and craftsmen prepared their own colours using the pigments developed by the few paint houses. Long and onerous, this process consisted of impasting the colours, leaving them to infuse then, once diluted, passing them through a sieve. Between the dosage, the binder and the need for precision, this process was time-consuming and the final products couldn't be preserved effectively. In 1934, Pébéo developed the first 'ready-to-use' colours, creating a revolution in the world of art! Originally intended for exterior painting, these tubes of oil paint allowed the businesses of the time to proudly show their colours while Pébéo continued to forge its reputation. Offered in 15 exclusive colours, these 'ready-to-use' tubes quickly won over artists. Thus, Pébéo entered the world of art.
The year 1935 also heralded the beginning of this family adventure, when the young Robert Chaveau discovered the workings of the profession by following in the footsteps of his father Claudius.
Claudius Chaveau met Celestin Freinet who was a teacher and the founder the Freinet Modern School Movement. The movements pedagogy is based on the children's own discovery and curiosity. Freinet had previously made various attempts to manipulate powdered colours by adding Arabic gum, trying to plasticise them and even trying to dilute them with washing up liquid. When none of his ideas came to fruition, he finally visited the Pebeo factory to meet the manager. Together, they conceived a new type of gouache: liquid gouache.
In 1952 a new connection confirmed Pebeo's destiny in the world of art. Renowned painter and gallery owner Armand Drouant was also a manufacturer of fine oil colours.
Pebeo took over his factory and, in doing so, acquired all of his insider knowledge of the industry. "Having been impasted in hand mixers, the colour is refined on tri-cylindrical grinders: the fineness is proportional to the pressure placed on the cylinders and the number of repetitions. It then undergoes quality checks during manufacture and before it is packaged... " Now equipped with mixers and other granite grinders, Pebeo could finally develop in the sector of fine colours.
1960: Adventures with textiles. Setacolor was born and is still renowned around the World today.
1969: The graphic conquest
1977: Pebeo offered the first acrylic paints which were entirely produced in France, establishing itself as a pioneer of 'Made in France'.
2019: Pebeo celebrated a century of its own brand of savoir - faire, of colour and innovation and a world of art, creativity and curiosity. A century spent reinventing itself and pushing limits, a century defined by the objective to inspire passion, awaken the senses and open minds to colour and the world of art.
2020: Pebeo launched its Ultimate pouring medium range, collaborating with a famous artist.
2024: Origin acrylics.
In 2024, we launched a range called 'Origin' and this has been exciting since day one of release due to its eco-credentials, new innovative packaging and the quality of the acrylic paint which has a high viscosity. It's always something to be proud of when you are first to market with such a solution and since the launch, we've been pleased to see the market embrace it. However, my actual personal favourite is 'pouring', as a real amateur at art it's one of the most satisfying products to use to create simple and effective pieces of fluid art, so rewarding. I always say if I can do it then anyone can, it is great way to get started!
Hobby & crafts have boomed over the last two years! Have you noticed any new trends?
The market awareness of arts & crafts has become a new trend since Covid, as people rediscovered their passion for hobbies, or changed their lifestyle to become the next freestyle artist. With influencers creating further awareness, fluid creativity and more art classes than in the past, it's hard to say what the latest trend is, but we're launching new products soon so that might say where we think there's a demand!
Pebeo has an entire team of people on standby to support any new retailer enquiry, with support at every step, including advise and training on our portfolio, design for displays, visits, administration and marketing support. We welcome new retailers getting in touch directly to discuss their requirements.
What sets you apart from your competitors?
We're still a family business that provides, passion, innovation, quality and thought into everything we do, we care about our partners and want to ensure that our end-users enjoy the experience of using our products, it's what drives us to continue and improve further. With our continual investment in new eco-friendly products and packaging, we're trying to set new standards within the industry to set ourselves apart.
Do you visit any trade shows? Do you plan to visit any soon?
This year we've visited Creativeworld in Frankfurt. We exhibited at London Stationery Show in May and will attend the Creative Craft Show, Birmingham.
Pebeo is investing in the UK. We're focussing our investment on new offices, logistics and staff to further improve our service, support and awareness to both current and new partners. This is exciting times, despite the economic challenges Pebeo are pushing forward with plans to go deeper into the market, working closely with artists, influencers, and other collaborations to create awareness, to get more people involved. We have new products to launch, increasing our portfolio to open opportunities to allow all to be more creative.
What new products can we expect from you in the future?
In 2025, we're launching several new products, including a range of bamboo easels, a full series of Lino which is likely to become my next favourite, some new exciting auxiliaries and mediums to enhance our Origin series, a re-launch of SKRIB children's markers, along with various other updates and sets, all to be announced soon. Watch this space!
Pebeo
www.pebeo.com
