Jake Parker: The Man Behind Ink Tober (And So Much More!)

Jake Parker is an artist, illustrator, animator, and children’s book author. He’s also a partner in the online school, Society of Visual Storytelling (svslearn.com), which he began with friend and fellow children’s book illustrator, Will Terry. The two are joined in the running of the school by Lee White (leewhiteillustration.com). 

- Deborah Basel

WHO IS JAKE PARKER?

His first artist’s commission came at the age of five, when his father paid him to do some drawings for him. Parker reflects on that experience: “I realized then not to draw only because I felt like it, but to draw with purpose and to make myself do it as a habit. What separates a hobbyist or an amateur from someone who is ‘doing this for real,’ is that [professional artists] don’t wait for inspiration to strike, they do it every day, regardless.”

Parker’s 87 Youtube channel videos are interesting, engaging, encouraging, and fun, and he has a large following. He urges his followers to accumulate a “Creative Bank Account.” There are two ways to make deposits to this account. One is indirect experience—absorbing through the lens of someone else’s experience and mode of expression. The other is based on one’s own experiences—travel, family, and hobbies. Then, consider each of these as a “dot” and figure out unique ways to connect them.

Parker loves children and is an enthusiastic husband and father. He and his wife, Alison, have five children, ranging from ages 7 to 16, and all of them like to draw. Parker’s son, Tate, is already following in his father’s footsteps and draws his own comics. Parker tries out his book ideas on his family members to gauge their level of interest and curiosity (or whatever emotion they express!) to help him refine his work.

While traveling with his family, Parker doesn’t usually pause to create any urban sketches. Instead, he records it in his own hand by taking notes or making small sketches about things that capture his interest.