I'm with Pearl, the first thing I do is remove the bark and inner bark... there may be wisps of the inner bark here and there in depressions, if I'm not thinning the sapwood, but it's little enough that I can completely read the stave, and lay it out accurately. I see no reason to leave the bark on once construction has began.
Pearl, I stopped at a friends house after work today and helped him follow the grain, for a centerline, on a really snakey osage stave. I really enjoy that part of bow making. Had to take it outside in the daylight to get it right. It's a lovely piece of Kansas osage.