A process for producing an optical element which has excellent heat resistance and adhesion to a substrate. This process comprises applying a liquid composition for forming an optical element to the molding surface of a substrate having a regular pattern surface consisting of areas having high wettability and areas having low wettability as the molding surface and curing the composition to form projections in the areas having high wettability. A solution containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a hydrolyzable compound which can be hydrolyzed and polycondensed and a hydrolyzed/polycondensed product thereof is used as the liquid composition for forming an optical element.