Your First TikZ Drawing

Let's start with the simplest possible TikZ code. Every TikZ drawing begins with the tikzpicture environment:

Drawing Lines

The most basic TikZ command is \draw. To draw a line, specify two coordinates:

Coordinates are given as (x,y) pairs. The default unit is centimeters.

Drawing Shapes

TikZ has built-in commands for common shapes:

Adding Colors

Add color to your drawings using options in square brackets:

The fill=color!30 syntax creates a lighter shade (30% opacity).

Adding Text with Nodes

Use \node to add text labels to your diagrams:

Arrows

Add arrowheads to your lines with arrow options:

Line Styles

Customize line appearance with various style options:

Complete Beginner Example

Here's a complete example combining everything we've learned:

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Forgetting semicolons: Every TikZ command must end with a semicolon.
• Missing \usepackage{tikz}: Always include the tikz package in your preamble.
• Wrong coordinate order: Remember it's (x,y), not (y,x).
• Confusing -- and -: Use -- (double dash) to connect coordinates, not a single dash.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics, explore more TikZ features:

• Basic Shapes - More shape options and customizations
• Nodes and Labels - Advanced text and node positioning
• Flowcharts - Create professional flowchart diagrams