Practice, practice, practice

I've been painting quite a bit lately but have been frustrated with how things are turning out. One subject I've been working on is my brother's dog, Raven. Here are a few of my attempts. I'm not completely satisfied with any of them, but I do feel like they're progressing at least. Here they are, from most recent to first painted:

Raven - take 3

Raven - take 2

Raven - take 1