Step 1
Open up a new image any size you want with a white background, in this tutorial I am going to open a 250x60 image.
Step 2
Now select the flood fill tool
Opacity: 100
Match Mode: None
Blend Mode: None
For the foreground style choose the gradient. For the gradient options make it with these settings, Black at 0% | #005982 at 50% | Black at 100% and have the little triangles 50% between each color. For the transparency settings have all the opacity settings at 100. Have the gradient at angle 0 and a linear. Then fill your blank image.
Step 3
Then go to Effects--> Geometric Effects--> Twirl. For the twirl degree put 175, please feel free to play around with that number. It should look something like the image on the right now.
Step 4
Now go to Effects--> Artistic Effects--> Neon Glow
(Detail: 45 | Opacity: 100) and click OK, feel free to play around with these settings. Now your image should look something like what we have on the right.
Step 5
Now go to Colors--> Grayscale. Then go to Color--> Increase Color Depth--> 16 Million Colors.
Step 6
Then go to Colors--> Colorize. For the settings make it Hue: 30 | Saturation: 130, feel free to play around with these setting to get different colors.
Final Product
Congratulations! You have successfully made a sand type of effect, I hope you liked it! Below is an example of the final product.
