A few questions from a newbie about the color and paints.

I am new to this forum and upon reading this thread it just occurred to me that I do have a question or two. :confused:
1) Was the white of the checkerboard achieved by the application of white paint or was it just the color of the canvas with a clear coat of varnish over it?
2) Were the paints used enamels or lacquers. I know that is an odd question to ask but I was just curious. Or were they a dope of some kind.
If they were a dope, then what is dope? I used to use it to paint my flying models back in the late 1940’s but was that the same thing? Or had the formulation changed from 1918 to 1949?
These days I normally paint my models with the usual paints available at the hobby stores, the enamels and acrylics for the static models and the fuel proof products for the flying models.
But now that I am changing over to electric motors for the flying models I no longer need the fuel proof paints.
3) Last question, if you do not mind. Was the Crocodile a plane from a training squadron back in England during the war or was it a post armistice paint job.
Thank you all for indulging me.
Stephen 🙂