1. A method of digital painting using a system that has a multiplicity of light sensors that provide signals in direct relation to the amount of light they receive, a transparent material disposed adjacent to said sensors with one surface thereof defining a painting surface, a source of infrared light disposed adjacent to said sensors, whereby an object in proximity to said painting surface will reflect an amount of infrared light from said source to said sensors in inverse relation to the distance of said object from said painting surface, a buffer that stores an image providing at least one pixel for each of said sensors, a multiplicity of display elements emitting visible light disposed adjacent to said sensors, whereby said image is displayed, and a processor that receives said displayed image and said signals from said sensors, comprising: (a) calculating expected amounts of feedback errors in a predetermined proportion to one or more of the values stored in said buffer for said display elements adjacent to each of said sensors for which reduction of said feedback error is desired, wherein said feedback errors are caused by the known variations in the intensity of said visible light emitted from said display elements and received by said sensors and by the known sensitivity of said sensors to said visible light, whereby said expected amounts of feedback errors are calculated from said known display intensity variations and said known sensitivity, (b) subtracting said calculated expected amounts of feedback errors from said signals generated by said sensors, (c) retaining only said signals exceeding a threshold selected to detect only the portions of said object substantially in contact with said painting surface, (d) accumulating over time the remaining said signals in said buffer, whereby the error in said signals caused by feedback from said visible light emitted by said display elements is reduced, and a composite image influenced by the texture of said object in contact with said surface is stored in said buffer.