diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 73d4b3ea..8bc8cd84 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 # Changelog
 
 
+## upcoming release
+
+### Added
+
+- circle/tangent functions
+
+### Changed
+
+- Travis documentation stage
+
+### Removed
+
+### Deprecated
+
 ## [v0.12.0] - 2018-08-17
 
 - new version number for better compatibility with v1.0
diff --git a/docs/src/simplegraphics.md b/docs/src/simplegraphics.md
index 26cb7801..dcb03788 100644
--- a/docs/src/simplegraphics.md
+++ b/docs/src/simplegraphics.md
@@ -223,6 +223,101 @@ nothing # hide
 circlepath
 ```
 
+### Circles and tangents
+
+Functions to find circles that are tangential to other circles include:
+
+- `circletangent2circles()` finds circles of a particular radius tangential to two circles
+- `circlepointtangent()` finds circles of a particular radius passing through a point and tangential to another circle
+
+These functions can return 0, 1, or 2 points (since there are often two solutions to a specific geometric layout).
+
+`circletangent2circles()` takes the required radius and two existing circles:
+
+```@example
+using Luxor # hide
+Drawing(600, 250, "assets/figures/circle-tangents.png") # hide
+origin() # hide
+background("white") # hide
+sethue("black") # hide
+setline(1) # hide
+
+circle1 = (Point(-100, 0), 90)
+circle(circle1..., :stroke)
+circle2 = (Point(100, 0), 90)
+circle(circle2..., :stroke)
+
+requiredradius = 25
+ncandidates, p1, p2 = circletangent2circles(requiredradius, circle1..., circle2...)
+
+if ncandidates==2
+    sethue("orange")
+    circle(p1, requiredradius, :fill)
+    sethue("green")
+    circle(p2, requiredradius, :fill)
+    sethue("purple")
+    circle(p1, requiredradius, :stroke)
+    circle(p2, requiredradius, :stroke)
+end
+
+# the circles are 10 apart, so there should be just one circle
+# that fits there
+
+requiredradius = 10
+ncandidates, p1, p2 = circletangent2circles(requiredradius, circle1..., circle2...)
+
+if ncandidates==1
+    sethue("blue")
+    circle(p1, requiredradius, :fill)
+    sethue("cyan")
+    circle(p1, requiredradius, :stroke)
+end
+
+finish() # hide
+nothing # hide
+```
+
+![circle tangents](assets/figures/circle-tangents.png)
+
+`circlepointtangent()` looks for circles of a specified radius that pass through a point and are tangential to a circle. There are usually two candidates.
+
+```@example
+using Luxor # hide
+Drawing(600, 250, "assets/figures/circle-point-tangent.png") # hide
+origin() # hide
+background("white") # hide
+sethue("black") # hide
+setline(1) # hide
+
+circle1 = (Point(-100, 0), 90)
+circle(circle1..., :stroke)
+
+requiredradius = 50
+requiredpassthrough = O + (80, 0)
+ncandidates, p1, p2 = circlepointtangent(requiredpassthrough, requiredradius, circle1...)
+
+if ncandidates==2
+    sethue("orange")
+    circle(p1, requiredradius, :stroke)
+    sethue("green")
+    circle(p2, requiredradius, :stroke)
+end
+
+sethue("black")
+circle(requiredpassthrough, 4, :fill)
+
+finish() # hide
+nothing # hide
+```
+
+![circle tangents 2](assets/figures/circle-point-tangent.png)
+
+
+```@docs
+circletangent2circles
+circlepointtangent
+```
+
 ## More curved shapes: sectors, spirals, and squircles
 
 A sector (technically an "annular sector") has an inner and outer radius, as well as start and end angles.
diff --git a/src/Luxor.jl b/src/Luxor.jl
index d3721ae6..d6f033dc 100644
--- a/src/Luxor.jl
+++ b/src/Luxor.jl
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export Drawing, currentdrawing,
     circle, circlepath, ellipse, hypotrochoid, epitrochoid, squircle, center3pts, curve,
     arc, carc, arc2r, carc2r, spiral, sector, intersection2circles,
     intersection_line_circle, intersectionlinecircle, intersectioncirclecircle, ispointonline,
-    intersectlinepoly, polyintersections,
+    intersectlinepoly, polyintersections, circlepointtangent, circletangent2circles,
 
     intersectboundingboxes, boundingboxesintersect,
 
diff --git a/src/curves.jl b/src/curves.jl
index 4286bc4d..69b39ad2 100644
--- a/src/curves.jl
+++ b/src/curves.jl
@@ -701,4 +701,80 @@ function intersectioncirclecircle(cp1, r1, cp2, r2)
     return (true, p3, p4)
 end
 
+"""
+    circlepointtangent(through::Point, radius, targetcenter::Point, targetradius)
+
+Find the centers of up to two circles of radius `radius` that pass through point
+`through` and are tangential to a circle that has radius `targetradius` and
+center `targetcenter`.
+
+This function returns a tuple:
+
+* (0, O, O)      - no circles exist
+
+* (1, pt1, O)    - 1 circle exists, centered at pt1
+
+* (2, pt1, pt2)  - 2 circles exist, with centers at pt1 and pt2
+
+(The O are just dummy points so that three values are always returned.)
+"""
+function circlepointtangent(through::Point, radius, targetcenter::Point, targetradius)
+    distx = targetcenter.x - through.x
+    disty = targetcenter.y - through.y
+    dsq = distance(through, targetcenter)^2
+    if isless(dsq, 10e-6) # coincident
+        return (0, O, O)
+    else
+        sqinv=0.5/dsq
+        s = dsq - ((2radius + targetradius) * targetradius)
+        root = 4(radius^2) * dsq - s^2
+        s *= sqinv
+        if isless(dsq, 0.0) # no center possible
+            return (0, O, O)
+        else
+            if isless(root, 10e-6) # only one circle possible
+                x = through.x + distx * s
+                y = through.y + disty * s
+                if isless(abs(distance(through, Point(x, y)) - radius), 10e-6)
+                    return (1, Point(x, y), O)
+                else
+                    return (0, O, O)
+                end
+            else # two circles are possible
+                root = sqrt(root) * sqinv
+                xconst = through.x + distx * s
+                yconst = through.y + disty * s
+                xvar = disty * root
+                yvar = distx * root
+            return (2, Point(xconst - xvar, yconst + yvar), Point(xconst + xvar, yconst - yvar))
+            end
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+"""
+    circletangent2circles(radius, circle1center::Point, circle1radius, circle2center::Point, circle2radius)
+
+Find the centers of up to two circles of radius `radius` that are tangent to the
+two circles defined by `circle1...` and `circle2...`. These two circles can
+overlap, but one can't be inside the other.
+
+* (0, O, O)      - no such circles exist
+
+* (1, pt1, O)    - 1 circle exists, centered at pt1
+
+* (2, pt1, pt2)  - 2 circles exist, with centers at pt1 and pt2
+
+(The O are just dummy points so that three values are always returned.)
+"""
+function circletangent2circles(radius, circle1center::Point, circle1radius, circle2center::Point, circle2radius)
+    modradius1 = radius + circle1radius
+    modradius2 = circle2radius - circle1radius
+    return circlepointtangent(circle1center, modradius1, circle2center, modradius2)
+end
+
+function randpoint()
+    return Point(rand(-200:200), rand(-200:200))
+end
+
 # eof
diff --git a/test/circletangent-test.jl b/test/circletangent-test.jl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7de25bcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/circletangent-test.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env julia
+
+using Luxor, Test, Random
+
+Random.seed!(7)
+
+function findanddrawsometangentialcircles(c1center, c1radius, c2center, c2radius)
+    for requiredradius in 1:150
+        res = circletangent2circles(requiredradius, c1center, c1radius, c2center, c2radius)
+        setopacity(0.5)
+        if first(res) == 1
+            circle(res[2], requiredradius, :stroke)
+        elseif first(res) == 2
+            circle(res[2], requiredradius, :stroke)
+            circle(res[3], requiredradius, :stroke)
+        elseif first(res) == 0
+            sethue("red")
+            circle(c1center, 5, :fill)
+            circle(c2center, 5, :fill)
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+function test_circletangents(fname)
+    pagewidth, pageheight = 1200, 1400
+    Drawing(pagewidth, pageheight, fname)
+    origin() # move 0/0 to center
+    background("ivory")
+    setline(0.5)
+    tiles = Tiler(1200, 1400, 5, 5)
+    for (pos, n) in tiles
+        @layer begin
+            translate(pos)
+            circle1 = (O + Point(rand(-20:20), rand(-20:20)), rand(20:40))
+            circle2 = (O + Point(rand(-20:20), rand(-20:20)), rand(20:40))
+            sethue("black")
+            setopacity(0.5)
+            circle(circle1..., :fill)
+            circle(circle2..., :fill)
+            setopacity(1.0)
+            circle(circle1..., :stroke)
+            circle(circle2..., :stroke)
+            sethue("purple")
+            findanddrawsometangentialcircles(circle1[1], circle1[2], circle2[1], circle2[2])
+        end
+    end
+
+    @test finish() == true
+    println("...finished circle tangent test, saved in $(fname)")
+end
+
+fname = "circletangent-test.pdf"
+
+test_circletangents(fname)
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 010e1b13..a225c0c0 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ function run_all_tests()
         include("bezierpath.jl")
         include("bezierpathtopoly.jl")
         include("bezierstroke-test.jl")
+        include("circletangent-test.jl")
     end
 
     @testset "color" begin