To provide an image forming method which prevents the contamination of water and lessens an image unevenness by a method of supplying water without immersing a photosensitive material into water at the time of development treatment of the photosensitive material.

After the photosensitive material containing at least a photosensitive silver halide emulsion, hydrophilic binder and basic metal compound hardly soluble in water on a base is exposed, water is supplied to the exposed surface and the photosensitive material is superposed on a sheet containing a complex forming compound with respect to the metal ions constituting a basic compound and is developed, to obtain images. At this time, the water supply to the exposed photosensitive material is executed by a water applicator for coating which has a water application section consisting of an elastic porous body extending in the transverse direction of the photosensitive material and impregnated with the water and is capable of applying the water to the photosensitive material by a contact scanning of the elastic porous body with respect to the photosensitive material. The contact angle of the photosensitive material surface with the water is specified to ≤60°C and the coefficient of dynamic friction of the elastic porous body and the photosensitive material is specified ≤2.0.