How to use pyplot.arrow or patches.Arrow in matplotlib?

Matplotlib provides multiple ways to draw arrows: pyplot.arrow() for simple arrows and patches.FancyArrowPatch() for advanced styling. Both methods allow you to create directional indicators in your plots.

Using pyplot.arrow()

The pyplot.arrow() function creates a simple arrow from starting coordinates to ending coordinates ?

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

plt.figure(figsize=(8, 6))

# Draw a simple arrow
plt.arrow(x=0.2, y=0.2, dx=0.6, dy=0.6, 
          head_width=0.05, head_length=0.1, 
          fc='blue', ec='blue')

plt.xlim(0, 1)
plt.ylim(0, 1)
plt.title('Simple Arrow using pyplot.arrow()')
plt.show()

Using patches.FancyArrowPatch()

The FancyArrowPatch class provides more styling options and better control over arrow appearance ?

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.patches as mpatches

plt.figure(figsize=(8, 6))

# Create figure and axis
fig, ax = plt.subplots()

# Define arrow coordinates
x_tail = 0.1
y_tail = 0.1
x_head = 0.9
y_head = 0.9

# Create fancy arrow
arrow = mpatches.FancyArrowPatch((x_tail, y_tail), (x_head, y_head), 
                                 mutation_scale=100, color='green',
                                 arrowstyle='->')
ax.add_patch(arrow)

plt.xlim(0, 1)
plt.ylim(0, 1)
plt.title('Fancy Arrow using patches.FancyArrowPatch()')
plt.show()

Multiple Arrows with Different Styles

You can create multiple arrows with various styles and colors in the same plot ?

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.patches as mpatches

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(10, 8))

# Different arrow styles
arrow_styles = ['->', '-|>', '<-', '<->', '<|-|>']
colors = ['red', 'blue', 'green', 'orange', 'purple']
positions = [(0.1, 0.8), (0.1, 0.6), (0.1, 0.4), (0.1, 0.2), (0.1, 0.0)]

for i, (style, color, pos) in enumerate(zip(arrow_styles, colors, positions)):
    arrow = mpatches.FancyArrowPatch(pos, (0.8, pos[1]), 
                                     arrowstyle=style, 
                                     color=color, 
                                     mutation_scale=20)
    ax.add_patch(arrow)
    ax.text(0.85, pos[1], style, fontsize=12, va='center')

ax.set_xlim(0, 1)
ax.set_ylim(-0.1, 0.9)
ax.set_title('Different Arrow Styles')
plt.show()

Parameters Comparison

Conclusion

Use pyplot.arrow() for simple directional indicators and patches.FancyArrowPatch() for styled arrows with advanced customization options. FancyArrowPatch provides better control over appearance and supports multiple arrow styles.