• Create an empty Canvas
  
  from Tkinter import *
  root = Tk()
  canvas = Canvas(root, width=300, height=200)
  canvas.pack()
  root.mainloop()  # This call BLOCKS (so your program waits until you close the window!)
  
  

• Draw a rectangle
  
  from Tkinter import *
  root = Tk()
  canvas = Canvas(root, width=300, height=200)
  canvas.pack()
  canvas.create_rectangle(0,0,150,150, fill="yellow")
  root.mainloop()
   

• Draw rectangles in different locations, sizes, fill colors, and outline colors
  
  from Tkinter import *
  root = Tk()
  canvas = Canvas(root, width=300, height=200)
  canvas.pack()
  canvas.create_rectangle(  0,   0, 150, 150, fill="yellow")
  canvas.create_rectangle(100,  50, 250, 100, fill="orange", width=5)
  canvas.create_rectangle( 50, 100, 150, 200, fill="green", outline="red", width=3)
  canvas.create_rectangle(125,  25, 175, 190, fill="purple", width=0)
  root.mainloop()
  
  
• Draw ovals, polygons, lines, centered text, and anchored text
  
  from Tkinter import *
  root = Tk()
  canvas = Canvas(root, width=300, height=200)
  canvas.pack()
  canvas.create_oval(50, 50, 250, 150, fill="yellow")
  canvas.create_polygon(50,30,150,50,250,30,150,10, fill="green")
  canvas.create_line(50, 50, 250, 150, fill="red", width=5)
  canvas.create_text(150, 100, text="Amazing!", fill="purple", font="Helvetica 26 bold underline")
  canvas.create_text(150, 100, text="Carpe Diem!", anchor=SW, fill="orange", font="Times 18 italic")
  root.mainloop()
  
  
• Use tuples and lists-of-tuples as parameters
  
  from Tkinter import *
  root = Tk()
  canvas = Canvas(root, width=300, height=200)
  canvas.pack()
  canvas.create_oval((50, 50), (250, 150), fill="yellow")
  canvas.create_polygon([(50,30),(150,50),(250,30),(150,10)], fill="green")
  root.mainloop()
   
• Graphics Helper Functions
  
  # Draw this picture:
  
  
  from Tkinter import *
  root = Tk()
  canvas = Canvas(root, width=300, height=200)
  canvas.pack()
  
  def drawBelgianFlag(canvas, x0, y0, x1, y1):
      # draw a Belgian flag in the area bounded by (x0,y0) in
      # the top-left and (x1,y1) in the bottom-right
      width = (x1 - x0)
      canvas.create_rectangle(x0, y0, x0+width/3, y1, fill="black", width=0)
      canvas.create_rectangle(x0+width/3, y0, x0+width*2/3, y1, fill="yellow", width=0)
      canvas.create_rectangle(x0+width*2/3, y0, x1, y1, fill="red", width=0)
  
  # Draw a large Belgian flag
  drawBelgianFlag(canvas, 25, 25, 175, 150)
  
  # And draw a smaller one below it
  drawBelgianFlag(canvas, 75, 160, 125, 200)
  
  # Now let's have some fun and draw a whole grid of Belgian flags!
  width = 30
  height = 25
  margin = 5
  for row in range(3):
      for col in range(3):
          left = 200 + col * width + margin
          top = 50 + row * height + margin
          right = left + width - margin
          bottom = top + height - margin
          drawBelgianFlag(canvas, left, top, right, bottom)
  
  # Finally, don't forge to display the window!
  root.mainloop()
  
  
• Custom Colors (with rgbString)
  
  def rgbString(red, green, blue):
      return "#%02x%02x%02x" % (red, green, blue)
  
  from Tkinter import *
  root = Tk()
  canvas = Canvas(root, width=300, height=200)
  canvas.pack()
  pistachio = rgbString(147, 197, 114)
  maroon = rgbString(176, 48, 96)
  canvas.create_rectangle(50,50,150,150, fill=pistachio, outline=maroon, width=4)
  root.mainloop()
   
• Drawing in Circles with Trigonometry
  • Trig 101
    • Circle centered at origin:
      
       
    • Circle centered at (cx, cy)
      
       
    • Circle centered at (cx, cy) in Python graphics ("up is down!")
      
       
  • Clock Example
    # Draw this picture:
    
    
    from Tkinter import *
    root = Tk()
    canvas = Canvas(root, width=350, height=200)
    canvas.pack()
    
    import math
    
    def drawClock(canvas, x0, y0, x1, y1, hour, minute):
        # draw a clock in the area bounded by (x0,y0) in
        # the top-left and (x1,y1) in the bottom-right
        # with the given time
        # draw an outline rectangle
        canvas.create_rectangle(x0, y0, x1, y1, outline="black", width=1)
    
        # find relevant values for positioning clock
        width = (x1 - x0)
        height = (y1 - y0)
        r = min(width, height)/2
        cx = (x0 + x1)/2
        cy = (y0 + y1)/2
    
        # draw the clock face
        canvas.create_oval(cx-r, cy-r, cx+r, cy+r, outline="black", width=2)
    
        # adjust the hour to take the minutes into account
        hour += minute/60.0
    
        # find the hourAngle and draw the hour hand
        # but we must adjust because 0 is vertical and
        # it proceeds clockwise, not counter-clockwise!
        hourAngle = math.pi/2 - 2*math.pi*hour/12
        hourRadius = r*1/2
        hourX = int(round(cx + hourRadius * math.cos(hourAngle)))
        hourY = int(round(cy - hourRadius * math.sin(hourAngle)))
        canvas.create_line(cx, cy, hourX, hourY, fill="black", width=1)
    
        # repeat with the minuteAngle for the minuteHand
        minuteAngle = math.pi/2 - 2*math.pi*minute/60
        minuteRadius = r*9/10
        minuteX = cx + minuteRadius * math.cos(minuteAngle)
        minuteY = cy - minuteRadius * math.sin(minuteAngle)
        canvas.create_line(cx, cy, minuteX, minuteY, fill="black", width=1)
    
    # Draw a large clock showing 2:30
    drawClock(canvas, 25, 25, 175, 150, 2, 30)
    
    # And draw a smaller one below it showing 7:45
    drawClock(canvas, 75, 160, 125, 200, 7, 45)
    
    # Now let's have some fun and draw a whole grid of clocks!
    width = 40
    height = 40
    margin = 5
    hour = 0
    for row in range(3):
        for col in range(3):
            left = 200 + col * width + margin
            top = 50 + row * height + margin
            right = left + width - margin
            bottom = top + height - margin
            hour += 1
            drawClock(canvas, left, top, right, bottom, hour, 0)
    
    # Finally, don't forge to display the window!
    root.mainloop()

Online References and Tutorials

There are a great many online references and tutorials for Tkinter.  Unfortunately, many (perhaps most) are not packaged in a way that's especially useful for us (they may not use Python, they may include too many or too few details, etc).

Here is an example of a website that we found to be useful:
   NM Tech's Canvas reference (which is part of NM Tech's Tkinter Reference)

The web is a big place, so you may find other, even better tutorials!