Python Turtle Graphics: Installation, Basic Shapes, and Advanced Visual Patterns

The turtle library is part of Python’s standard library, so no separate installation is required; you can simply import it in any script.

Example 1 – Square

import turtle
# Create a canvas
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("white")
# Create a turtle object
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.speed(1)  # set drawing speed
for _ in range(4):
    pen.forward(100)  # move forward 100 units
    pen.right(90)     # turn right 90 degrees
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Example 2 – Five‑pointed Star

import turtle
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("black")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("yellow")
pen.speed(3)
for _ in range(5):
    pen.forward(200)
    pen.right(144)
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Example 3 – Spiral Line

import turtle
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("lightblue")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("red")
pen.speed(0)  # fastest speed
for i in range(360):
    pen.forward(i * 0.1)
    pen.right(10)
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Example 4 – Concentric Circles

import turtle
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("white")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.speed(0)
colors = ["red", "orange", "yellow", "green", "blue", "indigo", "violet"]
for i in range(7):
    pen.color(colors[i])
    pen.circle(50 + i * 20)
    pen.up()
    pen.sety((50 + i * 20) * -1)
    pen.down()
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Example 5 – Polygon (e.g., Pentagon)

import turtle
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("white")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.speed(0)
sides = 5  # number of sides
angle = 360 / sides
length = 100
for _ in range(sides):
    pen.forward(length)
    pen.right(angle)
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Example 6 – Fractal Tree

import turtle

def draw_tree(branch_length, t):
    if branch_length > 5:
        t.forward(branch_length)
        t.right(20)
        draw_tree(branch_length - 15, t)
        t.left(40)
        draw_tree(branch_length - 15, t)
        t.right(20)
        t.backward(branch_length)

screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("white")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.left(90)
pen.up()
pen.backward(100)
pen.down()
pen.color("green")
pen.speed(0)

draw_tree(100, pen)
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Advanced Example – Colorful Spiral

import turtle
import random
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("black")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.speed(0)
turtle.colormode(255)  # use RGB colors
for i in range(36):
    r = random.randint(0, 255)
    g = random.randint(0, 255)
    b = random.randint(0, 255)
    pen.color(r, g, b)
    pen.circle(100)
    pen.right(10)
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Advanced Example – Koch Snowflake (Fractal Curve)

import turtle

def koch_curve(t, order, size):
    if order == 0:
        t.forward(size)
    else:
        for angle in [60, -120, 60, 0]:
            koch_curve(t, order-1, size/3)
            t.left(angle)

screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.bgcolor("white")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.speed(0)
pen.penup()
pen.goto(-200, 0)
pen.pendown()
for _ in range(3):
    koch_curve(pen, 4, 400)
    pen.right(120)
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Advanced Example – Simple Mandelbrot Set

import turtle
import math

def mandelbrot(c, max_iter):
    z = 0
    n = 0
    while abs(z) <= 2 and n < max_iter:
        z = z*z + c
        n += 1
    return n

screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.setup(800, 800)
screen.setworldcoordinates(-2.5, -1.25, 1.5, 1.25)
screen.tracer(0, 0)
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.hideturtle()
pen.speed(0)
pen.penup()
max_iter = 100
for x in range(-250, 150):
    for y in range(-125, 125):
        c = complex(x / 100.0, y / 100.0)
        m = mandelbrot(c, max_iter)
        color = m / max_iter
        pen.color(color, color, color)
        pen.goto(x/100.0, y/100.0)
        pen.dot(2)
screen.update()
turtle.done()

Example – Drawing the Chinese Flag

import turtle
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.setup(800, 600)
screen.bgcolor("white")
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.speed(0)
pen.hideturtle()
# Red background rectangle
pen.penup()
pen.goto(-400, 300)
pen.pendown()
pen.color("red")
pen.begin_fill()
for _ in range(2):
    pen.forward(800)
    pen.right(90)
    pen.forward(600)
    pen.right(90)
pen.end_fill()
# Function to draw a star

def draw_star(size, x, y):
    pen.penup()
    pen.goto(x, y)
    pen.setheading(0)
    pen.pendown()
    pen.color("yellow")
    pen.begin_fill()
    for _ in range(5):
        pen.forward(size)
        pen.right(144)
    pen.end_fill()
# Large star
draw_star(100, 0, 150)
# Four small stars
stars = [
    (70, -100, 180),  # top‑right
    (70, -100, 306),  # top‑left
    (70, -100, 270),  # bottom‑left
    (70, -100, 90)    # bottom‑right
]
for size, x, angle in stars:
    pen.penup()
    pen.goto(x, 50)
    pen.setheading(angle)
    pen.forward(150)
    pen.pendown()
    draw_star(size, pen.xcor(), pen.ycor())

turtle.done()

Example – Simple Map of China (Geopandas + Matplotlib)

pip install geopandas matplotlib

import geopandas as gpd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
world = gpd.read_file(gpd.datasets.get_path('naturalearth_lowres'))
china = world[world.name == 'China']
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(10, 8))
china.boundary.plot(ax=ax, linewidth=1, color='black')
china.plot(ax=ax, facecolor='lightgray', edgecolor='black')
ax.set_title('Map of China', fontsize=16)
ax.axis('off')
plt.show()

This collection of snippets demonstrates how the built‑in turtle module can be used for introductory graphics programming, from simple geometric shapes to recursive fractals and basic geographic visualisation.