Walls and Ceilings - ceramic tile installation

I would like to apply a ceramic wall tile in my bathroom above the existing shower to the ceiling. This will be my first time working with tile. The bathroom had wallpaper before and I wanted to just have it painted. The problem is the walls above the shower seem to get more moisture. Can the tile be installed on top of the sheetrock? Each of the 3 surrounding walls cover no more than 9 square feet. I thought this would be a nice project for a first experience and build confidence to try bigger jobs.

Yes, the tile can be applied to the sheetrock w/ mastic. You will have remove the top course of finished bullnose and the 2 outside corner bullnoses and will likely damage the drywall under those tiles. Not to worry...just prime the damaged area, mud it up w/ Surabond, sand, PRIME AGAIN..then go to it. chances are your joint won't look perfect, but don't tell anyone. Also, you can tile the ceiling to give yourself a complete shower surround. Make sure surfaces are sound, no peeling paint, etc.
Mark