Pop star Ed Sheeran has over 60 tattoos, most of which featuring vibrant use of color and a sense of fun. Here we examine a few of the most interesting pieces of Ed’s body art collection and examine their meaning. 

While he has hit the big time in recent years by virtue of numerous hit songs and collaborations, Ed Sheeran has been grinding away in the music scene for over fifteen years.

Born in West Yorkshire, England, Sheeran was raised in an artistic house in a “very large” Catholic family. Constantly performing, from church choirs to school productions, Sheeran was often described as a natural and voted most likely “to be famous” by his school classmates in 2004.

Flash forward and Sheeran is one of the largest pop stars on the planet, releasing top charting singles, starting his own record label and appearing on television and in movies. Ed has also gained notoriety for the wildly colorful and expansive collection of tattoos that cover most of his body. According to the man himself, “People say when they see my tattoos that I look like a melted crayon, so that’s interesting. I guess this is just my eight year-old self coming out”.

The following article will take a look at a few of the more prominent pieces in Ed’s collection of more than 60 tattoos.

Lion Chest Tattoo

One of his larger and more dramatic pieces, Sheeran full color lion inked directly in the center of his chest. Using a photo-realistic approach, this is a clean piece contrasting the looser style of many of his other tattoos. He stated that this piece is a tribute to the lifetime achievement of performing at Wembley stadium.

Interestingly enough, Ed caught quite a bit of flak from fans over this piece, although he isn’t too concerned. According to an interview with Ellen DeGeneres: “I feel like this is every part of my career put into one, and I think it looks cool and I don’t really care if anyone else does too.”