A brush care guide for people who, like me, will never actually follow a brush care guide.

The minimum

• Don't leave brushes in water. Even five minutes is enough to bend the ferrule. Wipe them and lay them flat.
• Use brush soap once a week. Not "when they look bad". Once a week. Set a recurring reminder.
• Replace the dirty water before it's dirty. When you can't see the bottom of the cup, it's already too late.

The slightly more

• Keep a separate brush for metallics. Forever. Don't switch.
• Keep a separate brush for inks and washes. Synthetic is fine; you're going to ruin it anyway.
• Don't buy expensive brushes if you don't follow the rules above. You're lighting money on fire.

The truth

I follow about three of these rules. I replace my main brush every six months because of it. That's a trade I'm OK making — your mileage will vary.