Efforts to expand the authoring of visual stories beyond the 2D canvas have commonly mapped flat imagery to 3D scenes or objects. This translation requires spatial reasoning, as artists must think in two spaces. We propose PortalInk 1, a tool for artists to craft and export 2.5D graphical stories while remaining in 2D space by using SVG transitions. This is achieved via a parallax effect that generates a sense of depth that can be further explored using pan and zoom interactions. Any canvas position can be saved and linked to in a closed drawn stroke, or “portal,” allowing the artist to create spatially discontinuous, or even infinitely looping visual trajectories. We provide three case studies and a gallery to demonstrate how artists can naturally incorporate these interactions to craft immersive comics, as well as re-purpose them to support use cases beyond drawing such as animation, slide-based presentations, web design, and digital journalism.

Vector illustrations are object-based, meaning they are composed of strokes that can be filtered individually through textures or animations and transformed without loss of quality. These filters are typically difficult to specify without programming prerequisites. We propose filtered.ink , a full-featured illustration application to construct and explore filters via a node graph interface with a live preview. This turns vector graphics and their filters into a form of vector hypermedia that can be shared and remixed with new users. By examining interactions that occur when crafting, remixing, and using filters for dynamic illustrations through a task-based usability study, we expose new workflow patterns and avenues of expression. The observations result in a user model supported by filtered.ink: see, want, rewant, and remix. In this model, the artist breaks away from traditional notions of illustration, taking advantage of the inherent remixability of the strokes and filters in the vector graphics format.