At first glance, they appear to be a selection of photos taken across Sydney.

But on closer inspection, it quickly becomes apparent the landscape images depicting some of the city’s most notable landmarks weren’t created with a simple click of a camera.

For 18-year-old student Xing Lin from Prospect, they take far longer than the split second a mobile phone, for example, captures its backdrop.

View photos Sydney Harbour from Blues Point. Source: Supplied/ Xing Lin More

View photos The Harbour Bridge in fog behind Milsons Point station. Source: Supplied/ Xing Lin More

“It takes me anywhere from five hours to 10 depending how detailed they are,” Xing told Yahoo News Australia.

That’s because the images Xing creates are painstakingly drawn entirely on Microsoft Paint.

He first began drawing Sydney’s sights while travelling to high school in Baulkham Hills, with pictures at the start taking him “several weeks”.

“I’d take inspiration from the sights I’d see during the commute.”

With limited software available to him 24/7, he opted to try his hand at creating artwork in MS Paint.

View photos The Great Western Highway at Parramatta. Source: Supplied/ Xing Lin More

View photos Sydney's CBD by day and night. Source: Supplied/ Xing Lin More

View photos Sydney's skyline from the west. Source: Supplied/ Xing Lin More

“I started using Microsoft Paint because it was the only software I could access wherever I was,” he said.

And when he began to share his creations online, people quickly began to praise his unique talent.

“People are impressed that I draw in MS Paint because there’s a sort of nostalgic allure to it and the technical way of drawing on it is more impressive I guess,” he told Yahoo News Australia.

View photos William Street in one of Xing's more detailed pieces. Source: Supplied/ Xing Lin More

View photos Sydney Harbour from above. Source: Supplied/ Xing Lin More

Story continues