Help with dessert zone

[diaz9943]

Hello!

So I started my first project ever, and I've come short.
I'm trying to make one of the edges of the map into a deserty-ish thing, but my attempt really looks quite silly..
Any help on how to make it look more deserty (and what colour(s) that are more desserty) would be greately apprechiated.

I'm using Photoshop CS6 (and I'm very new to it), it that matters.

Picture of my bad attempt at a desert:
3r4kuXE.png


Thanks,

-Diaz

[Freehand 5.5]

Add more Y.

If you want to, you could give the whole thing a more grainy structure.
Scan sand. Or add noise.

[diaz9943]

Something more like this then?
1glJiIV.png

[Freehand 5.5]

Yeah. But the yellow is a bit too nuclear waste desert.
Try something like rgb 220/190/000.

[diaz9943]

Never heard a colour described as "nuclear" before. ^^

This certainly looks better, but are you sure the colour is not a bit too strong?
q3DUgje.png
Thanks for helping me.

- Diaz

[Mr_potato_head]

I don't know about CS6, but I would recommend an edge fade to both your dessert and your other terrain. I find that this helps to make things blend a bit better.

[Freehand 5.5]

You're right, the tone is a bit strong.
You can easily tone that down in Photoshop. Do you know where to reduce saturation or make it lighter?
Perhaps a tone lying between your original one and that I told above.

And what Mr_potato_head says. Try to fade it smoother.

And the other side is natural reality. Try to get that border a bit less regular and straight.

[ManOfSteel]

You could also try loading pictures of deserts from maps or aerial photos, or even photos from space, and sample the colors with Photoshop's eyedropper tool.

[rdanhenry]

Cake is dessert. Dry places are desert. Unless the rolling dunes are made of sugar, you'll be wanting to make your label with one "s".

[Freehand 5.5]

So, I would suggest to get more white into that desert of sugar.