It was suggested by a popular cake decorator to practice using coloring books. You can learn how to fill in close, how to do shadows and she practice is the best so you can get the feel of the air brush. Her class was great and I learned a lot about 3d cakes and fondant work. We worked with an airbrush for a little bit but it was great I love using mine. You can tell by the fish in my photos.
Good luck and just practice, the coloring books come in hand. I also use americolor and chef master colors. They are both great.
That's a cool idea. I saw your fish. They both look great. Are you carving the cake or did you have a pan.
What type of system do you have? When I was a graphic designer, we always used Paasche. It looks like on Ace of Cakes they use Paasche, but I've seen some advertised specifically for cakes.
There is a book by Roland A Winbeckler, "Airbrush Techniques for Cake Decorating." It also instructs you on how to create your own stencils. Great book.
Also here is a link I found useful and its FREE instruction! http://www.howtoairbrush.com/
They have a magazine you can subscribe to also.
i use an airmaster by kopykake. it is adjustable from 0-20 psi. it really is amazing! 
try this site: http://www.howtoairbrush.com/
It has the basic skills to get you going. However you need to work with your paper on the table like you'll be doing cakes- not an easel like the teacher. Practicing on newsprint is a low cost way to practice. I've heard some people say use cheap papertowels. But papertowels absorb too many mistakes to me. So the color doesn't give you the splash or splatter or show the grainy-ness. The problem with that is that you need the splash or splatter to learn what pressure and distance to work with. If you splat- you are too close and probably too high of pressure. When it's grainy your pressure is too low.
BC cakes that crust usually take about 10-18 psi without blowing holes. Fondant can take much higher. I work at about 18 psi- on harder crusted buttercream- if you work with softer bc, you stay at the lower psi.
I've noticed on most of the challenges and shows, that they are using paasches too.
That's a cool idea. I saw your fish. They both look great. Are you carving the cake or did you have a pan.
What type of system do you have? When I was a graphic designer, we always used Paasche. It looks like on Ace of Cakes they use Paasche, but I've seen some advertised specifically for cakes.
the fish is carved out of cake:
here is a link from Bronwen Webers Class, you can see how the fish was done we also did a dog. She is the one who told us to practice on coloring books, that is the best way. So, I did not buy any books I just practice on coloring book pages. I also luster dust all may cakes..
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/558241541zdpAjX?start=36
Pages 4 and 5 have the fish
pages 1 and 2 should have the dog we carved out of sheets cakes, you can see how that was done too.
I have the airmaster here is a link, it goes for $239 works great:
http://www.cake-decorating-supply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=28
How is the noise? That's the one thing I hated about airbrush. I hated the noise the compressor made.
My pro kitchen aid is louder then the airbrush. I set the base on a towel to keep it from vibrating around if I have it on my table. Even when it is not on a towel for me it is not loud when sitting on a tile surface. I know what you mean by loud noise but it is not loud but does make noise.
I hope that helps.
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