Parallax backgrounds

I'm currently working on backgrounds. I want to use scrolling parallax (the main idea of this technique is to have multiple layers moving at different speed, related to their distance from the camera) to create a depth effect. I hope this effect will make less boring the simple backgrounds I'm able to draw.

My first try at parallax in Cape Bleue was this :

It's better than nothing, but not by far. The 2 big flaws are colors (it should be less saturated) and drawing (these trees look like bushes on a stick... and they seem to be viewed from a very high place).

When in motion, the parallax look like this :

I like it. The background art is still bad, but my parallax script is working.

So I decided to work again on these backgrounds. Here is a version with better colors, and a first try on a personal blue sky.

 
A rework of the previous version, without trees and with the adding of grass on top of the first three layers: 

It begins to look like something acceptable. Really empty, but I like the global atmosphere, and it makes the gameplay areas on screen more readable. Later, and using this version as a start, I did two other tries. A background for the player's village, and a forest : 

 I don't hate it, but I'm still not fully convinced. The village background could become good, but it may need huge amount of work to avoid feeling too empty.