I've used pens and the dip for decades. The dip is good for the base color; the pens for stripes or belly colors. The Sassy shad below was chartreuse. The pen applied the back black stripe and the orange belly color.


This Sassy Shad had the belly and tail cut off. The charteuse color was intensified by the dip and the black and orange added with Spike-It pens.


The white grub body was dipped in chart. after the curl tail was removed and the rest applied using pens.


One more - promise:


I wouldn't say the color combos added to the great number of fish caught last year on the above, but at least it didn't hurt.
BTW(No-action tale grubs RULE!)