Snake skin's not that hard really. If you get some fishnet material, like the plastic stuff you can buy oranges in, it is easy to use it as a mask to lay the diamond patter for the scales. Even some of them Loufa(?) things that you use in the shower can sometimes be pulled apart and used as a template. Then it is a matter of building up shades using candies and transparent colours. I think Mike Learn did a tutorial from memory, but it was probably someone else.