Holding a gilder's pad is a very personal thing. I'm so used to working with my pad that I really have to think about what I do when I describe the process to a student. You can never touch the knife blade, because any grease on it will mean the gold leaf will stick to it and be ruined. You can't touch the gold leaf with your fingers because it will disintegrate. You need to use water so you have a gilder's mop (a squirrel brush), but if you get water on your gilder's tip (another squirrel brush), it won't work. You do need grease on your gilder's tip though! The best way to master everything is to watch it being done. So much of working with gold is about how things feel and look. The pad will eventually become an extension of your arm, and the gold leaf will move in exactly the way you want it to.
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