This Python program generates a visually captivating spiral pattern made of smaller hexagon spirals using the Turtle Graphics module. The final artwork is saved as a high-quality PNG image using the Pillow library.
The final output is a complex fractal-like spiral image saved as spiral.png.
Recursively draws spiraling hexagon patterns.
Uses trigonometric calculations for realistic spiral geometry.
Optimized rendering with screen.tracer() for faster drawing.
Saves the output image in PNG format using Pillow.
Python 3.x
turtle (comes built-in with Python)
Pillow for image conversion (pip install pillow)
spiral.py – The main script that draws and saves the image.
spiral.png – The final output image (generated after running the script).
The program initializes the Turtle Graphics screen and sets up the canvas.
The recursive draw_spiral() function calculates and draws hexagon-based spiral paths with a twist angle (alpha).
It uses trigonometry to manage direction and distance for drawing.
Once complete, the canvas is saved as an EPS file, then converted to a PNG using Pillow.
Install dependencies:
bash
pip install pillow
Run the script:
bash
python spiral.py
Check your project directory for spiral.png.
A hypnotic, colorful pattern of interlocking spirals—ideal for artistic or generative design experiments.
Pillow is a powerful and easy-to-use Python Imaging Library (PIL) fork that allows you to open, manipulate, and save many different image file formats. It’s widely used in tasks like:
Image conversion (e.g., EPS to PNG)
Cropping, resizing, rotating, and flipping images
Drawing shapes or text on images
Applying filters and effects
Automating image processing workflows
Pillow is the go-to library in Python for working with images in a programmatic way.
In your spiral drawing program, you use Turtle Graphics to create a visual pattern. Turtle’s default way of saving images is in EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) format, which is great for vector-based graphics but not easily viewable in many everyday applications.
That’s where Pillow comes in — it handles the EPS file and converts it to a more user-friendly format like PNG, which is widely supported and can be shared or posted online.
from PIL import Image
# Load the EPS file created by turtle graphics
img = Image.open("spiral.eps")
# Save the image in PNG format
img.save("spiral.png", "PNG")
So basically:
Turtle draws the spiral and saves it as an .eps file.
Pillow opens that .eps file and saves it as .png.
Pillow supports a wide range of file formats, including:
PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF
EPS, PDF, ICO, WEBP
and more...
This makes it a versatile choice for any kind of image processing in Python.
Here are just a few of the powerful things you can do with Pillow:
Convert between formats
Resize or crop images
Add filters or watermarks
Generate thumbnails
Draw shapes, lines, or text on images
If you ever want to expand your program to add titles, effects, or even watermark your spiral images, Pillow can help with that too!
This pattern uses properties of regular hexagons and clever recursion to simulate a natural spiral structure, often found in plants, shells, and galaxies.
This project is open-source and free to use for educational or creative purposes.