Mr Leighton taught portraiture, figure drawing and painting and still-life. His  method of teaching was reminiscent of the studio workshops of the past. A beginning student would work several years in charcoal, starting with line drawings and working up to full toned drawings. Then would come painting in umber and white paint to establish tone and familiarity with paint. Finally the student would progress to full color oil paint or pastel.

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE LINKS TO SEE HIS WORK

      Thomas C. Leighton was a well-known Canadian-American artist, and an instructor for more than 25 years in art schools, colleges and in his own studio in San Francisco. He was born in Canada 1913 and attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.

     He studied privately with distinguished Canadian artist, John Russell and served as his assistant at Russell’s School of Art in Canada. He also received training at art schools in London and New York and at the Evanston Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago.

     He was a director of the fine arts Department of Ridley College in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, and also served as instructor at the Art and Letters Club Institute of Niagara Falls in the same city. He also taught at the Arts and Letters Club Toronto and the Art League California.

     Mr. Leighton made San Francisco his home in 1949 and opened the Leighton Studio on Bay Street in 1955, later moving to Buena Vista Avenue.