Light-sensitive material comprising light-sensitive layer, polymerizable layer and image formation accelerating layer provided on support

An image forming method which comprises the steps of:

• imagewise exposing to light a light-sensitive material which contains silver halide, a reducing agent, at least one of an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound and a cross-linkable polymer, and at least one of a base and a base precursor,
• wherein the light-sensitive material comprises a support and at least three image forming functional layers including a light-sensitive layer, a polymerizable layer and an image formation accelerating layer, said light-sensitive layer containing silver halide, said polymerizable layer containing at least one of said ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable compound and said cross-linkable polymer, said image formation accelerating layer containing a base precursor, and said image formation accelerating layer being the uppermost layer among the three image forming functional layers;
• and
• simultaneously or thereafter heating the light-sensitive material at a temperature in the range of 60.degree. to 200.degree. C. under conditions substantially not containing water to develop the silver halide, wherein the reducing agent forms an oxidation product or radical thereof when the silver halide is developed, the oxidation product or radical thereof is transferred from the light-sensitive layer to the polymerizable layer, said at least one polymerizable compound and cross-linkable polymer is imagewise hardened by said oxidation product or radical thereof, a polymer image is formed by said imagewise hardening of said at least one polymerization compound and cross-linkable polymer, and said imagewise hardening is initiated by said oxidation product or radical thereof.