Lukas

What Lukas does

Lukas is a 163-year-old German manufacturer of professional artist paints and mediums, founded on October 18, 1862 by Dr. Franz Schoenfeld in Düsseldorf. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio organized across four paint media — oils (LUKAS 1862 Oil, Berlin Water-Mixable Oil, Studio Oil, Terzia Oil), acrylics (Cryl Pastos heavy-body, Cryl Liquid fluid, Cryl Studio, Cryl Terzia), watercolors (Aquarell 1862, Aquarell Studio), and gouache (Studio Gouache) — supported by an extensive line of painting mediums, varnishes, structure pastes, primers, and restoration products. Underlying technology centers on traditional formulation using high-quality artist pigments, natural binders (purified linseed oil, sunflower oil, gum arabic), and time-honored manufacturing processes including three-roll milling and hand-poured watercolor production with pigments ground to 2 micrometers. Lukas pioneered mainland Europe's first artist-grade acrylic paint (CRYL, 1964) and Europe's first water-mixable oil color (Berlin, 1999), establishing a continuous record of formulation innovation.

Name

Lukas

Legal name

Lukas Ltd

Website

https://lukas.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1862

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lukas is a 163-year-old German manufacturer of professional artist paints — oils, watercolors, acrylics, gouache, and mediums — serving professional and student artists globally as a sub-brand of Italy's F.I.L.A. Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Supplies / Artist Paints

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural & Decorative Paints (IMAEAHAA)

Keywords

• Artist paint manufacturing
• Oil paints
• Watercolor paints
• Acrylic paints
• Painting mediums

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Art Supplies Sales: Lukas generates revenue through the sale of professional artist paints and art materials including oil colors, watercolors, acrylics, gouache, and painting mediums across various quality tiers from professional to student-grade.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Lukas manufactures and sells professional-grade artist paints and painting mediums across oil, watercolor, acrylic, and gouache categories under heritage brands including 1862, Berlin, Cryl, Studio, and Terzia. The portfolio covers premium professional (1862), mid-range professional (Berlin, Cryl Pastos, Cryl Liquid, Studio Oil, Aquarell Studio), and student-grade tiers (Cryl Studio, Cryl Terzia, Studio Gouache), supported by an extensive mediums range and sold globally through art supply retailers and the company's own e-commerce site.

Product overview

LUKAS is a traditional artist supplies manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional-quality art materials organized into distinct product lines. The core offerings include four main paint categories: Oil Paints (1862 Oil, Berlin Water-Mixable Oil, Studio Oil, Terzia Oil), Acrylic Paints (Cryl Pastos, Cryl Liquid, Cryl Studio, Cryl Terzia), Watercolors (Aquarell 1862, Aquarell Studio), and Gouache (Studio Gouache). Supporting the paint lines is an extensive Mediums category covering acrylic mediums, oil mediums, watercolor mediums, pastel mediums, priming mediums, structure pastes & gels, varnishes & surface preparation, and restoration & gilding products. Founded in 1862 in Düsseldorf, Germany, LUKAS pioneered several industry firsts including mainland Europe's first acrylic paint (CRYL in 1964) and Europe's first water-mixable oil color (Berlin in 1999). The company operates as part of the F.I.L.A. Group following acquisition in 2016.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LUKAS 1862: Premium professional oil paint collection launched in 2022 to commemorate the 160th anniversary, featuring up to 80 shades with traditional formulation using purified linseed and sunflower oils
• LUKAS Aquarell 1862
• LUKAS Berlin
• LUKAS Cryl Pastos
• LUKAS Cryl Liquid
• LUKAS Cryl Studio
• LUKAS Studio Oil
• LUKAS Aquarell Studio
• LUKAS Studio Gouache
• LUKAS Cryl Terzia

Products and services

• LUKAS 1862 Oil Premium professional oil colors formulated with unadulterated artist pigments, purified linseed and sunflower oils, and bleached beeswax for buttery consistency, intense color purity, and reliable drying times of 2–4 days without cracking. Available in approximately 80 shades, designed for professional fine art painters.
• LUKAS Berlin Water-Mixable Oil Professional-grade water-mixable oil colors using modified linseed and sunflower oils, allowing artists to thin, dilute, and clean brushes with water instead of solvents while maintaining traditional oil paint consistency, drying, and handling behavior. For professional artists seeking solvent-free oil painting.
• LUKAS Studio Oil High-quality oil colors with strong pigmentation and balanced consistency, designed for painters seeking professional results at a more accessible price point suitable for studio practice and teaching environments.
• LUKAS Cryl Pastos Professional heavy-body acrylic with exceptionally high pigment concentration and thick, buttery consistency designed for impasto techniques and expressive brushwork. Dries to a satin-matt finish maintaining stroke and palette knife marks. For professional artists favoring bold texture.
• LUKAS Cryl Liquid Professional fluid acrylic with fine consistency and high pigment load for smooth, flowing color. Designed for pouring, glazing, airbrushing, and large-scale coverage with a flexible, non-yellowing acrylic binder. For professional artists and illustrators.
• LUKAS Cryl Studio Dependable, high-quality acrylic color for artists, students, and educators with fine artist pigments and balanced acrylic binder. Fast-drying, water-mixable with smooth handling, strong opacity, and reliable lightfastness.
• LUKAS Cryl Terzia Reliable and affordable acrylic paints designed for students, beginners, and hobbyists with carefully selected pigments and balanced acrylic polymer binder. Medium-body texture with quick drying to satin-matt finish.
• LUKAS Aquarell 1862 Highest standard professional watercolor using finest lightfast pigments ground to 2 micrometers and carefully selected gum arabic. Hand-filled and air-dried in multiple stages for uniquely rich texture that re-wets effortlessly with smooth, even wash. For professional watercolorists.
• LUKAS Aquarell Studio Dependable, high-quality watercolors for artists, students, and hobbyists with fine lightfast pigments and balanced gum arabic binder. Offers strong brilliance, smooth application, and excellent re-wettability at accessible pricing.
• LUKAS Studio Gouache Versatile, high-quality opaque watercolour with finely ground lightfast pigments and smooth gum arabic binder. Delivers rich matte finish with excellent coverage and opacity for both solid layers and transparent watercolour effects. For artists, illustrators, designers, and educators.
• LUKAS Mediums Comprehensive range of painting mediums covering acrylic mediums, oil mediums, watercolor mediums, pastel mediums, priming mediums, structure pastes and gels, varnishes and surface preparation, and restoration and gilding products to support the full paint lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 80 shades available in 1862 Oil collection, over half single-pigment formulations for clean mixing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Restaurierungszentrum Düsseldorf (RED)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Historical archive of over 5,800 LUKAS items (1855-2018) permanently loaned to RED for cataloging, archiving, and art technological research purposes. Items include historical recipe books, product catalogs, paint materials, and artist correspondence.
• Nerchau Painting and Artist's PaintsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009LUKAS acquired the Nerchau painting and artist supplies brand from Deutschen Amphibolin-Werken (DAW), expanding product portfolio.
• Düsseldorf Academy of Fine ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership with local artists and The Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf who helped develop and test new products, providing key feedback to improve and evolve the product range since founding.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Old Holland: Old Holland is a Dutch manufacturer of premium traditional artist oil paints founded in 1664, positioned at the top of the professional oil paint tier. Comparable to Lukas's 1862 Oil tier in target customer, formulation purity focus, and single-pigment philosophy.
• Sennelier: Sennelier is a French heritage manufacturer of artist paints founded in 1887, known for premium oils, watercolors, pastels, and innovative products. Directly comparable to Lukas in heritage positioning, product breadth, and artist-segment focus.
• Winsor & Newton: Winsor & Newton is the leading global premium artist paint manufacturer offering professional oil, watercolor, and acrylic lines. Directly comparable to Lukas in target customer (professional artists), product categories (oils, watercolors, gouache, mediums), and heritage positioning.
• Liquitex: Liquitex is a leading global manufacturer of professional artist acrylics and mediums, owned by ColArt. Directly comparable to Lukas's Cryl ranges (Pastos, Liquid, Studio) in the professional and student acrylic segment with strong specialty-retail distribution.
• Maimeri: Maimeri is an Italian premium artist paint manufacturer with a long heritage and broad range of oils, watercolors, and acrylics. Comparable to Lukas in premium European positioning, product breadth, and professional-artist focus, and is a fellow brand within the broader Italian/European art materials heritage.
• Golden Artist Colors: Golden is a US-based premium artist paint manufacturer known for professional acrylics, oils, and watercolors with strong emphasis on formulation quality. Comparable to Lukas as a top-tier artist paint maker serving professional and serious student artists through specialty distribution.
• Royal Talens: Royal Talens is a Dutch manufacturer of premium artist paints including Rembrandt and Talens brands, founded in 1899. Directly comparable to Lukas as a European heritage artist paint maker with multi-tier product lines spanning professional to student segments.
• Daniel Smith: Daniel Smith is a US-based premium watercolor manufacturer known for extensive single-pigment watercolor lines and professional artist focus. Comparable to Lukas's Aquarell 1862 line in the premium watercolor segment with strong direct-to-artist distribution.
• Schmincke: Schmincke is a German family-owned premium artist paint maker founded in 1881, headquartered near Düsseldorf. Closely comparable to Lukas as a German heritage manufacturer of professional oils, watercolors, and acrylics with similar formulation philosophy and artist-segment focus.

Emerging players

• Arteza: Arteza is a digitally-native, direct-to-consumer art supplies brand offering affordable paints and supplies across similar categories (oils, acrylics, watercolors). Comparable to Lukas as a competing art paint brand, but addressing hobbyist and entry-level segments via e-commerce rather than the professional fine-art channel Lukas targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/schoenfeldgmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/LukasFarben
• Instagraminstagram.com/lukasfarben
• TikToktiktok.com/@lukasfarben
• Xx.com/LukasFarben

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lukas