How to paint snakes?

It looks like I am going to be painting a large set of snakes on someone's back or chest for an upcoming event. I'm wondering if there are any tips/tutorials for making this look right with the scales, etc. Especially since they have said they would prefer the snakes be 'black'.

How did you go with this? One of the best snakes i have seen is on the tag website, but you could do them in any colour, just if you're using an arty cake make sure it has a black or dark colour on one side

i would do it like a regular small snake and use a bigger flat brush..