Known as John Faber the Younger until the death of his eponymous father in 1721, Faber was born in Amsterdam, moving to England around 1698. He learned drawing and mezzotint engraving from his father and attended the Academy in St Martin's Lane in London. He became the leading mezzotint engraver of his day and was renowned for two engraved series after Godfrey Kneller, twelve 'Hampton Court Beauties' (1727) and 47 portraits of members of the Kit-Cat Club (1735). Faber's mezzotints after Wilson include various impressions of E1 Admiral Thomas Smith, E2 Sir Edward Hawke, E5 George Prince of Wales and E6 Prince Edward.
