TIPPLE, and then some

DRAWING TIPPLE
Tipple is a simple and popular tangle that I imagine every CZT teaches an introduction class. But simple needn't be boring. There are many variations of this simple tangle, and I'd like to show you some.

While there are no online instructions for drawing Tipple, I’m fairly certain you can figure it out for yourself! This tangle is composed simply of various sizes of circles. The original tangle starts with larger circles, and continues filling with ever smaller circles until there's no more space.

On this tile I used various sizes of pen as well as  many variations of Tipple.
The two opposing corners were blacked in, then tangled in white ink.

PEBBLES OR BUBBLES?
You can draw the circles so they touch but don't overlap, or you can draw them so they do overlap. To me this is Tipple pebbles and Tipple bubbles. For an added bubbly look, break the line on the inside of a circle when the one you're drawing appears behind it.

There are a few examples of broken line bubbles in the tile below:

USE BLACK
Instead of drawing ever smaller circles, try eliminating the smallest circles, and filling the background with black.

That look can vary further by drawing larger circles at the center of your section, surrounded by smaller and then smaller circles, with black around the periphery. Or, in reverse.

BE ORGANIZED
The placement of the circles doesn't need to be random. Try drawing the circles from teeny-tiny to large beginning at the periphery, or at the middle. It's even better once you add shading, and is rather striking when you use this method in adjacent sections (see the tile above). If you begin the tiny circles at the periphery you might start to wonder "What was I thinking?!?" - it can seem a bit tedious for the first couple of rows. Trust me, it gets easier and the effect is worth it.

WEIGHTED TIPPLE
It's not necessary to fill an entire section. Pretend the balls have weight and are tumbled into the dips and corners of other tangles.

And don't fret. Gravity can be wherever you want it to be. This is art, not scientific illustration.

Tangles: Black Pearlz, Hibred, Lotus Pods, Phicops, Tipple

COMBINE IT
Tipple is terrific as a 'filler' pattern. Use it as an added element in other tangles for striking effects.

Tipple playing with Cadent, Paisley Boa, and Paradox

(For more about variations and fun with Cadent go to this blog post.)
(For more about variations and fun with Paradox go to this blog post.)

Tipple playing with Crescent Moon and W2.

SHADING AND HIGHLIGHTS

There are lots of ways to shade and highlight a circle so that it appears more spherical.
You can use pencil:

You can use pen:

AND THEN SOME MORE...
Moving slightly away from Tipple, I have seen it done where the circles/spheres are viewed more from the side and parts can't be seen.

Of course, you can always fill the circles, but then you're getting into making other tangles. There are quite a few tangles that begin like Tipple, with a lot of circles. Here are some you may like to try:

Finally, here's an all-in-one (well, almost) page for visual reference purposes.

HAVE FUN!