Indispensable and interesting, however, as they are, sec tions are a far more conventional mode of drawing than ele vations, because they represent a building as it never can be seen, except where the front of a house has been taken down fir the purpose of rebuilding it, while the floors and partition walls are left standing ; in which case any one may obtain a good idea of the nature of a section, but of one seen in per spective.
Besides general sections showing the whole of a building from top to bottom, there are frequently partial ones, show ing only the rooms on one floor, or even a single room, when it is desired to show any particular apartment on a larger scale than could conveniently be done any other way. Some times recourse is had to a plan of the room with each of its sides drawn around it. as if laid flat on the ground, by which means the whole of the apartment is described. I horizontal sections also arc given, to show more accurately than can lie done on a plan, the soffits of entablatures, the ceiling and its ornaments, the window recesses, and door-cases, and the capi tals of columns and projection.
Besides the usual plans, elevations, and sections, there should also be detailed drawings, answering, in some respect, to what are termed working drawings ; these give a more cor rect idea of the minutia' and finishing of the subject than can be obtained from the general design only.
In a complete design, however, it is desirable to have per spective views both of the exterior and principal parts of the interior. These enable a person to comprehend the character and effect or the design as a whole, which, without such draw ings, can be judged of only piecemeal. The perspective drawing of the exterior ought to exhibit the edifice from one of the most frequented points of view, and ought also to be so contrived as to make it impressive from every point whence it can be seen, and particularly from those positions in which the greatest part of the design is comprehended at one view.
In very large works, a model will be useful for preventing many mistakes that might otherwise arise, its all the parts can be easily seen by inspection ; but when drawings only are used, from the number that are necessary to the perform ance of the work, a long examination and consideration are requisite ; and after all, some of the most essential parts of the construction may be, and frequently are, overlooked.
For other particulars respecting designs, we refer to the articles APARTMENT, BREAK', BU1LDINO, HOUSE,