Tyrus Wong, the artist whose works inspired the Disney film Bambi, has died aged 106.

A Chinese immigrant, Wong’s vibrant paintings captured Walt Disney’s eye and became the basis of the film’s distinct style.

In a statement, the Walt Disney Family Museum said “his influence on the artistic composition of the animated feature Bambi cannot be overstated.”

He died at home surrounded by his family.

Wong emigrated to the United States from China as a child, with his father - leaving behind his mother and a sister he would never see again.

After studying as an artist, he began working with Disney in 1938 as an “inbetweener”, drawing hundreds of pictures between poses to create the illusion of motion.

BDST: 1014 HRS, JAN 02, 2016
SR