I know people paint their cakes using airbrushes (which I don't have) but I saw a post or pic on here that said they had painted it with a brush. Do you use your regular icing colors to do this or do you need special "paint"? Thanks for your help!

There are colors for the airbrushes and those are the one that we use if you don't own a airbrush you can use the ones that wilton has (it's call color mist food spray) unfortunally they don't have all the colors.

You normally make your own paint by mixing gel food coloring with a clear alcohol, such as vodka. Then, you just paint it on with a brush. I've done this a couple of times, and you just need to make sure the color is thick enough, and not too watered down by the alcohol.
HTH!

You can also paint using petal and luster dusts that are thinned with lemon extract. That is how I paint on my cakes.

it depends on what effect you are going for...

if you want an all over color... AIRBRUSH for sure... the black and whit cake in my photos..
if you want something like the Britto Cake in my Photos... BRUSH...
if you want to do a background... like the jungle animal cake... AIRBRUSH too... pm me if you need any help..

Yes-petal and luster dusts are awesome! But, lemon extract doesn't dry as quickly or thoroughly as vodka, etc...

i used lemon extract on the britto cake and it was wet for almost two days.. even when they brought me back the fake bottom tier... three days after the party, and four days after i had finished it... it was still tacky... so i agreewith summernoele... vodka or any other clear alcohol... (obviously not rubbing alcohol... but a drinking alcohol... )

I painted these cookies using straight Americolor colors. I just put a drop or two of the colors I need onto a paper plate and I use my art brushes to paint with. These cookies are covered in fondant and then I painted on the fondant. Painting on fondant is fun!!
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1156764

I use paste colors and vodka, it work really good and you can use luster dust too.

Teekakes you cookies are so cute I love them.

i took fondant covered cookies to ices convention last year.. a picture of them is in last months ices newletter.... they were more of a christmas theme.... i take one stroke painting. for the last 4 years... have taught it a little bit... i use americolor colors when i paint on fondant ... you have to blend 2-3 colors on one brush and do one stroke painting... some michaels offer it still and acmoore... this was first shown at the ices convention in new orleans... log on the one stroke site... choose state you,re from.. and there is a list of one stroke teacher close to your home. i go now to a ladies home to play around more with this painting. it is fun...

Thanks for all the suggestions. As I said, I don't have an airbrush so that's out. I tried painting on fondant one time with luster dust and it just didn't cover, was sort of gloppy looking if that makes sense. The jungle cake that was mentioned is sort of the look I wanted to go for so I may just have to improvise.

Thanks again for all your help!!