Method for forming an image

A method for forming an image comprising heating in the presence of at least one of a base and a base generating agent, an image-wise exposed heat-developable color light-sensitive material which comprises a support having thereon at least:

• (1) a light-sensitive silver halide, (2) a coupler capable of coupling with an oxidation product of a developing agent, (3) a hydrophilic binder, and (4) at least one compound represented by formula (Z), the at least one compound represented by formula (Z) being a precursor of a developing agent:
• ##STR23## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group, a hydroxy group, an amino group, a substituted amino group, an alkoxy group, an acylamino group, an alkylsulfonylamino group, an arylsulfonylamino group, an aryl group, a carbamoyl group, a substituted carbmoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a substituted sulfamoyl group, an acyl group, an acycloxy group, or an alkoxycarbonyl group, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, or R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are connected together to form a ring structure;
• A represents a hydroxy group, a group capable of providing a hydroxy group upon reaction with a nucleophilic reagent, or the group ##STR24## wherein R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 each represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, or R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are connected together to form a heterocyclic group, or when A repesents the group ##STR25## at least one combination of R.sub.1 and R.sub.6 and R.sub.3 and R.sub.7 is connected together to form a heterocyclic group;
• and R.sub.5 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group.