A bad description ruins the story. Don't be all like this.
The camp is pretty. There is a bunch of people and buildings.
A good description is like this.
The child stood on the hill, looking down at the camp for the first time. A bustle of people in orange shirts walked around, doing various activities. The buildings were a hodgepodge of styles, from simple to outrageous.
Which one is better?
If you add detail, it makes the reader feel like they're right there with the story.
Please use detail.
Words that I like using are:
Colors:
Yellow: honey, sunshine, saffron, dandelion. topaz, lemon, gold
Blue: cerulean, sky, indigo, navy, dark, light, sea, cyan, turquoise.
Red: scarlet, blood, dark, light, rose. crimson
Green: Hunter, forest, light, dark, olive, sea,
Pink: rose, carnation, light, dark, salmon.
Purple: light, dark, lilac, lavender, violet. amethyst
Orange: light, dark, sunset, tangerine, traffic cone,
Black: midnight, bottomless, coal, raven,
White: pristine, clean, snow,
Gray: slate, storm,
People:
Hair Color: brunette, blonde/blond, redhead, black, white-blond, brown. ((these are kinda interchangeable with the shades above))
Eye Color: use the shades to describe.
Height: tall, short, petite, average, dwarf-like, midget, giant, elf-like,
Weight: petite, willowy, lean, average, anorexic, overweight, pudgy, beefy,
Complexion: flawless skin, freckles, moles, pockmarked, acne,
Hair Lengths and Styles: short, wispy, long, medium, curly, wavy, straight, dreadlocks, braids, pigtails, ponytails, buns, chignons, cornrows,
Describing Personalities: sweet, kind, innocent, rude, childish, mean, nasty, sarcastic, selfish,
Places:
Buildings: huge, tall, skyscraper, compact, bunker, needle-like, towering, imposing, childish,
Parks: wide open spaces, grassy,
Inside: clean, stuffy, hot, cool, cold, freezing, warm, cramped, empty,
