Johnny Depp - Johnny Depp Found Tonto Inspiration In Painting

The artist licensed his I Am Crow work to the producers of the western, so Depp could study the piece and create the perfect warrior image for the film.

Depp tells EW.com, "I'd actually seen a painting by an artist named Kirby Sattler, and looked at the face of this warrior and thought, 'That's it. The stripes down the face and across the eyes... It seemed to me like you could almost see the separate sections of the individual, if you know what I mean."

Depp reveals Sattler's subject isn't actually based on any particular tribe - but he's a blend of history, fantasy and the romantic image of Indian warriors.

He adds, "The whole reason I wanted to play Tonto is to try to (mess) around with the stereotype of the American Indian that has been laid out through history, or the history of cinema at the very least."

The proud artist has posted up a photo of Depp as Tonto next to his I Am Crow painting on his website.