Can I dye a pumpkin? Is it possible to successfully dye a pumpkin? I want to spice up this year's jack-o-lanterns.

Specifically, to have it have bright or bold colors?

I ask because I'm not sure if the glossiness of the shell would protect it from the dye. I'd prefer not to make a terrible mess to test it out, so I'm hoping someone has dyed pumpkins or gourds before. Also, I'd have no idea about how long I'd have to leave them in the dye. (I do have those mini pumpkins on hand to test before using full-size).

If it makes a difference, I could buy white pumpkins instead of orange.

If dyeing the shell is too much work/too hit or miss, then I'd be interested in applying dye with a brush to the portions I carve to be somewhat translucent.
Well, yes you can... lots of people dip dye pumpkins using food coloring, though the outer skin of the pumpkin will not absorb the dyes as well as the flesh of the pumpkin. If you want to enhance the dye absorption on the surface, a very light sanding with a fine-grained sandpaper to lightly score the surface will probably help there. As you have the small ones to test, I'd test both scored and not to see how it works out.