Spirograph in Python Turtle

Beginner · Patterns and spirals · 20 lines · draws in about 8 seconds

Drawing the same circle 36 times and turning 10 degrees after each one sweeps the circles all the way round into a rainbow spirograph.

Spirograph in Python Turtle: the finished drawing

import turtle

import colorsys

screen = turtle.Screen()

screen.bgcolor("black")

screen.title("Spirograph")

t = turtle.Turtle()

t.speed(10)

t.pensize(2)

# 36 circles that all pass through the centre, each turned 10 degrees

for i in range(36):

hue = i / 36

t.pencolor(colorsys.hsv_to_rgb(hue, 1, 1))

t.circle(105)

t.left(10)

t.hideturtle()

turtle.done()

Open in the editor

How the code works

Rainbow colours from a number

hue grows from 0 towards 1 as i counts up. colorsys.hsv_to_rgb(hue, 1, 1) turns it into a bright colour, so the circles run through the rainbow in order.

# 36 circles that all pass through the centre, each turned 10 degrees
for i in range(36):
    hue = i / 36
    t.pencolor(colorsys.hsv_to_rgb(hue, 1, 1))

A circle, then a turn

circle(105) draws a circle of radius 105 that starts and ends at the centre of the screen. left(10) turns the turtle, so the next circle sits 10 degrees further round, and 36 turns of 10 degrees make a full turn.

t.circle(105)
t.left(10)

Make it yours

Change the code above and press Run. Some ideas:

Change range(36) to range(72), i / 36 to i / 72 and left(10) to left(5) for a denser pattern.
Change t.circle(105) to t.circle(105, steps=6) to draw hexagons instead of circles.
Change screen.bgcolor("black") to screen.bgcolor("white") and hsv_to_rgb(hue, 1, 1) to hsv_to_rgb(hue, 1, 0.8) for deeper colours on white.

What it uses

for loops
circle
colorsys for rainbow colours

Every turtle command the site supports is listed on Python turtle online.