Of course! Drawing shapes with Python's turtle module is a fantastic way to learn the basics of programming, including loops, angles, and functions.

Let's break down how to draw common shapes, from simple to more complex.

First, A Quick Setup

Before you can draw, you need to import the turtle module and set up your screen and "turtle" (the pen).

import turtle
# Set up the screen
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.title("Python Turtle Shapes")
screen.bgcolor("white")
# Create a turtle object
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.speed(5)  # Set the drawing speed (1=slowest, 10=fastest, 0=fastest)
pen.pensize(2) # Set the pen thickness
pen.color("blue") # Set the pen color

Drawing a Square

A square has four equal sides and four 90-degree angles.

Logic:

1. Move forward a certain distance.
2. Turn right 90 degrees.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 four times.

Code:

import turtle
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("blue")
# Loop 4 times for the 4 sides of the square
for _ in range(4):
    pen.forward(100)  # Move forward 100 units
    pen.right(90)    # Turn right 90 degrees
# Hide the turtle when done
pen.hideturtle()
# Keep the window open until you click on it
turtle.done()

Explanation:

• for _ in range(4): creates a loop that runs exactly 4 times. We use _ as the variable name because we don't need to use the loop counter for anything.
• pen.forward(100) tells the turtle to move 100 pixels in the direction it's facing.
• pen.right(90) tells the turtle to turn right by 90 degrees.

Drawing a Triangle (Equilateral)

An equilateral triangle has three equal sides and three 60-degree angles (the angles in any triangle add up to 180 degrees).

Logic:

1. Move forward.
2. Turn left 120 degrees. (180 - 60 = 120)
3. Repeat three times.

Code:

import turtle
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("green")
# Loop 3 times for the 3 sides of the triangle
for _ in range(3):
    pen.forward(100)   # Move forward 100 units
    pen.left(120)     # Turn left 120 degrees
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Drawing a Pentagon

A regular pentagon has five equal sides and five 72-degree angles (360 / 5 = 72).

Logic:

1. Move forward.
2. Turn right 72 degrees.
3. Repeat five times.

Code:

import turtle
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("red")
# Loop 5 times for the 5 sides of the pentagon
for _ in range(5):
    pen.forward(100)  # Move forward 100 units
    pen.right(72)    # Turn right 72 degrees
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Drawing a Star

This is a fun one! A 5-pointed star has 5 sides. The key is the angle: you turn 144 degrees at each point.

Logic:

1. Move forward.
2. Turn right 144 degrees.
3. Repeat five times.

Code:

import turtle
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("purple")
# Loop 5 times for the 5 points of the star
for _ in range(5):
    pen.forward(200)  # Move forward 200 units
    pen.right(144)   # Turn right 144 degrees
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Drawing a Circle (and an Oval)

A circle is a special shape. The turtle module has a built-in circle() function, which is much easier than calculating tiny sides.

Logic:

• Use pen.radius().

Code for a Circle:

import turtle
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("orange")
# The circle function takes the radius as an argument
pen.circle(100) 
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

How to draw an Oval? An oval is just a "squished" circle. You can draw it by drawing two halves of circles with different radii.

import turtle
pen = turtle.Turtle()
pen.color("pink")
# Draw the first half of the oval (left side)
pen.circle(100, 180) # radius=100, extent=180 degrees
# Draw the second half of the oval (right side) with a smaller radius
pen.circle(50, 180)  # radius=50, extent=180 degrees
pen.hideturtle()
turtle.done()

Putting It All Together: A Shape-Drawing Function

You can make your code reusable by creating a function that draws any shape. This function will take the number of sides and the side length as arguments.

The Math:

• Angle: The turtle must turn by the exterior angle. For any regular polygon, this is 360 / number_of_sides.

Code:

import turtle
def draw_shape(num_sides, side_length):
    """Draws a regular polygon."""
    pen = turtle.Turtle()
    pen.color("black")
    pen.pensize(2)
    # Calculate the exterior angle
    angle = 360 / num_sides
    # Draw the shape
    for _ in range(num_sides):
        pen.forward(side_length)
        pen.right(angle)
    pen.hideturtle()
# --- Let's use the function! ---
# Set up the screen
screen = turtle.Screen()
screen.title("Drawing Shapes with a Function")
# Draw a hexagon (6 sides)
draw_shape(num_sides=6, side_length=100)
# Wait for a click before drawing the next shape
screen.exitonclick() # This closes the window after one click
# To draw multiple shapes, you need to reset the turtle's position
# or use multiple turtles. Here's an example for a new window:
# screen.clear()
# pen.goto(-150, 0) # Move the turtle to a new spot
# draw_shape(num_sides=8, side_length=80) # Draw an octagon
# screen.exitonclick()
turtle.done()

Summary of Common Turtle Commands