Recommended starter iPad for artists?

I've never owned a apple device in my life, so I'm new to a lot of the iPad's features. I'm a artist currently working on a Microsoft Surface Pro 6, which I love but Procreate Dream is coming out, and Ireally want to use it when it drops, but only can with a apple device. I've looked at getting a iPad before but didn't know which one to get.

My budget (and my sanity) tell me to not go get the IPP 12.9 because I don't need something so big or powerful if I'm just now getting into it, so I was looking at the iPad Air as a starter, but are there other models that might be better? Any artists here who started on an iPad and can recommend a good starter one?