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

In his retirement, Mr Wong took up the art of kite-making[Photo: BBC]

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."

Wong emigrated to the United States from China as a child with his father.

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.

Tyrus Wong only worked at Disney for three years, moving to Warner Brothers as a concept artist, designing greeting cards for Hallmark on the side.

After retiring, he turned to creating hundreds of elaborate bamboo kites, received many awards in recognition of his work, and became the subject of a documentary about his life.

Bambi's distinct style was adapted from Tyrus Wong's concept art [Photo: Disney]