Example: Coffee cup

% Coffee cup
% Author: Mark Wibrow
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{fadings}
\tikzfading[name=fade out,
  inner color=transparent!0, outer color=transparent!100]
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
  \foreach \c [count=\i from 0] in {white,red!75!black,blue!25,orange}{

    \tikzset{xshift={mod(\i,2)*3cm}, yshift=-floor(\i/2)*3cm}
    \colorlet{cup}{\c}

    % Saucer
    \begin{scope}[shift={(0,-1-1/16)}]
      \fill [black!87.5, path fading=fade out] 
        (0,-2/8) ellipse [x radius=6/4, y radius=3/4];
      \fill [cup, postaction={left color=black, right color=white, opacity=1/3}] 
        (0,0) ++(180:5/4) arc (180:360:5/4 and 5/8+1/16);
      \fill [cup, postaction={left color=black!50, right color=white, opacity=1/3}] 
        (0,0) ellipse [x radius=5/4, y radius=5/8];
      \fill [cup, postaction={left color=white, right color=black, opacity=1/3}]
        (0,1/16) ellipse [x radius=5/4/2, y radius=5/8/2];
      \fill [cup, postaction={left color=black, right color=white, opacity=1/3}] 
        (0,0) ellipse [x radius=5/4/2-1/16, y radius=5/8/2-1/16];
    \end{scope} 

    % Handle
    \begin{scope}[shift=(10:7/8), rotate=-30, yslant=1/2, xslant=-1/8]
      \fill [cup, postaction={top color=black, bottom color=white, opacity=1/3}] 
        (0,0) arc (130:-100:3/8 and 1/2) -- ++(0,1/4) arc (-100:130:1/8 and 1/4)
        -- cycle;
      \fill [cup, postaction={top color=white, bottom color=black, opacity=1/3}] 
        (0,0) arc (130:-100:3/8 and 1/2) -- ++(0,1/32) arc (-100:130:1/4 and 1/3)
        -- cycle;
    \end{scope}

    % Cup
    \fill [cup!25!black, path fading=fade out] 
      (0,-1-1/16) ellipse [x radius=3/4, y radius=1/3];
    \fill [cup, postaction={left color=black, right color=white, opacity=1/3/2},
      postaction={bottom color=black, top color=white, opacity=1/3/2}] 
      (-1,0) arc (180:360:1 and 5/4);
    \fill [cup, postaction={left color=white, right color=black, opacity=1/3}] 
      (0,0) ellipse [x radius=1, y radius=1/2];
    \fill [cup, postaction={left color=black, right color=white, opacity=1/3/2},
      postaction={bottom color=black, top color=white, opacity=1/3/2}] 
      (0,0) ellipse [x radius=1-1/16, y radius=1/2-1/16];

    % Coffee
    \begin{scope}
      \clip ellipse [x radius=1-1/16, y radius=1/2-1/16];
      \fill [brown!25!black] 
        (0,-1/4) ellipse [x radius=3/4, y radius=3/8];
      \fill [brown!50!black, path fading=fade out] 
        (0,-1/4) ellipse [x radius=3/4, y radius=3/8];
    \end{scope}
  }
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}