“An artwork for me is something you can stand in front of and see something different every time,” he said. 

“I want them to be jam packed full of personality.”

His latest piece, commissioned by the Herald to celebrate Surfest, is inspired by Michael Eggleston’s work and features local icons including Mark Richards, a coal ship and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, plus landmarks such as the Pumphouse, Surfhouse and Merewether Surf Life Saving Club.

“I want to show everyone how great the event is for Newcastle and what it brings here,” he said.

“I want it to be something people have on their wall and go ‘We live in a really cool place’.”

But there’s also a few hidden surprises.

“There’s a half-pipe in the foreground and I couldn’t help but draw a little dog doing a wee and it running down,” he said.

“I put in all these little bits that don’t stand out to everyone but they’ll see it one day and go ‘Oh!’”

Merewether-raised Resevsky, 27, spent about 12 hours every day for the past fortnight creating the work. 

He sketched in blue pencil, red pencil and then black Sharpie, before scanning the image into his computer and colouring it using Photoshop to create a digital artwork.

He laughed at suggestions it could be recreated as a mural.

“You can get someone else to paint it, because it took me two weeks to do it that size and I don’t want to be standing painting it for a year,” he said.

“It would be nice to see it somewhere big but I think maybe doing a vinyl print would be better.”

Resevsky is hoping to have Surfest competitors sign a print, which he has offered to the Mark Hughes Foundation to auction to fund its work raising awareness about, promoting research into and supporting patients with brain cancer. 

Resevsky said he had lost two friends to brain cancer, including a seven year old.

“Mitch can’t do enough for us,” Hughes said.

“He’s a super talented local bloke who wants to use his talents to make a difference and help people.

“His work is just awesome.”

Hughes said the foundation “jumped at the chance” to be involved in Surfest through the inaugural Evolution Charity Cup.