How to draw a heart with pylab?

Drawing a heart shape with pylab/matplotlib can be achieved using mathematical equations and the fill_between() method. This creates a beautiful heart visualization using parametric equations.

Mathematical Approach

The heart shape is created using two mathematical functions:

• Upper part: y1 = sqrt(1 - (abs(x) - 1)²)
• Lower part: y2 = -3 * sqrt(1 - (abs(x) / 2)^0.5)

Steps

• Set the figure size and adjust the padding between and around the subplots.
• Create x, y1 and y2 data points using numpy.
• Fill the area between (x, y1) and (x, y2) using fill_between() method.
• Place text on the plot using text() method at (0, -1.0) point.
• To display the figure, use show() method.

Example

import numpy as np
from matplotlib import pyplot as plt

plt.rcParams["figure.figsize"] = [7.50, 3.50]
plt.rcParams["figure.autolayout"] = True

x = np.linspace(-2, 2, 1000)
y1 = np.sqrt(1 - (abs(x) - 1) ** 2)
y2 = -3 * np.sqrt(1 - (abs(x) / 2) ** 0.5)

plt.fill_between(x, y1, color='red')
plt.fill_between(x, y2, color='red')

plt.text(0, -1.0, 'Heart', fontsize=24, color='black',
         horizontalalignment='center')

plt.show()

Enhanced Heart with Styling

Here's an enhanced version with better styling and axis customization ?

import numpy as np
from matplotlib import pyplot as plt

plt.rcParams["figure.figsize"] = [8, 6]
plt.rcParams["figure.autolayout"] = True

x = np.linspace(-2, 2, 1000)
y1 = np.sqrt(1 - (abs(x) - 1) ** 2)
y2 = -3 * np.sqrt(1 - (abs(x) / 2) ** 0.5)

plt.fill_between(x, y1, color='crimson', alpha=0.8)
plt.fill_between(x, y2, color='crimson', alpha=0.8)

plt.text(0, -1.5, 'Love You', fontsize=20, color='darkred',
         horizontalalignment='center', fontweight='bold')

plt.axis('equal')
plt.axis('off')
plt.title('Heart Shape with Matplotlib', fontsize=16, pad=20)

plt.show()

Key Parameters

Conclusion

Creating a heart shape with matplotlib involves using mathematical functions and the fill_between() method. You can customize colors, transparency, and text to create beautiful romantic visualizations for special occasions.