Somewhat different from the others, I do use a drawknife on the belly. I hold the blade (razor sharp) bevel away at a right angle to the belly, usually canted left or right a bit reduce any chatter. Peels wood off in little ribbons instead of prying it loose, causing those tear outs. I am getting it very close with a belt sander first however. Only small amounts of wood need to be removed with each pass.
I'm using the drawknife with the bevel up. The blade isn't very sharp either. Just ordered a farriers, so I should be back in business in a few days.
On a separate note, I'm a geometry dud, not a stud, so shaping handles have been challenging for me. (The first ash bow was about as cock-eyed as it could get.) I decided to practice, practice, practice... using cheap, 1"x2"x4ft white wood boards from HD at $1.88 each. After a few attempts, I gotta say I'm pleased with my progress. Decided that was the best way to learn many, if not most of the skills need to make decent bows. For any other beginner out there, I would highly recommend that approach.
Of course, the white wood boards I'm practicing on are softer and easier to manipulate than the ash and hickory I will be using for my first bows, but I'm learning an awful lot!
Thanks to everyone for your input.