using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;

ColorBlend colorBlend = null;
private void frmMain_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
    colorBlend = new ColorBlend();
    colorBlend.Colors = new Color[] {Color.Orchid, Color.White, Color.Orchid};
    colorBlend.Positions = new float[] {0.0f, 0.5f, 1.0f};
}

private void gridView1_CustomDrawCell(object sender, 
DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.Base.RowCellCustomDrawEventArgs e) {
    if(e.Column.FieldName != "RequiredDate") return;
    //Get the cell's value
    DateTime reqDate = (DateTime)e.CellValue;
    if(reqDate < DateTime.Today) return;
    //Calculate the text to display in the cell
    string dispText;
    if(reqDate > DateTime.Today)
        dispText = ((TimeSpan)(reqDate - DateTime.Today)).Days.ToString() + " day(s) left";
    else
        dispText = e.DisplayText;
    //Create the gradient brush
    LinearGradientBrush brush = new LinearGradientBrush(e.Bounds, 
        Color.White, Color.Black, LinearGradientMode.ForwardDiagonal);
    //Provide custom color blending
    brush.InterpolationColors = colorBlend;
    //Fill the cell's background
    using(brush) {
        e.Graphics.FillRectangle(brush, e.Bounds);
    }
    //Draw the cell's text
    e.Graphics.DrawString(dispText, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Black, e.Bounds);
    //Prohibit the default painting
    e.Handled = true;
}

Imports System.Drawing.Drawing2D

Private colorBlend As colorBlend = Nothing
Private Sub frmMain_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    colorBlend = New ColorBlend
    colorBlend.Colors = New Color() {Color.Orchid, Color.White, Color.Orchid}
    colorBlend.Positions = New Single() {0.0F, 0.5F, 1.0F}
End Sub

Private Sub GridView1_CustomDrawCell(ByVal sender As Object, _ 
ByVal e As DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.Base.RowCellCustomDrawEventArgs) _ 
Handles GridView1.CustomDrawCell
    If e.Column.FieldName <> "RequiredDate" Then Return
    'Get the cell's value
    Dim reqDate As DateTime = e.CellValue
    If (reqDate < DateTime.Today) Then Return
    'Calculate the text to display in the cell
    Dim dispText As String
    If (reqDate > DateTime.Today) Then
        dispText = reqDate.Subtract(DateTime.Today).Days.ToString() + " day(s) left"
    Else
        dispText = e.DisplayText
    End If
    'Create the gradient brush
    Dim brush As LinearGradientBrush = New LinearGradientBrush(e.Bounds, Color.White, _ 
        Color.Black, LinearGradientMode.ForwardDiagonal)
    'Provide custom color blending
    brush.InterpolationColors = colorBlend
    'Fill the cell's background
    e.Graphics.FillRectangle(brush, e.Bounds)
    brush.Dispose()
    'Draw the cell's text
    e.Graphics.DrawString(dispText, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Black, _ 
        New RectangleF(e.Bounds.X, e.Bounds.Y, e.Bounds.Width, e.Bounds.Height))
    'Prohibit the default painting
    e.Handled = True
End Sub

using DevExpress.Utils;
// ...
private void gridView1_CustomDrawColumnHeader(object sender, 
    DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.Grid.ColumnHeaderCustomDrawEventArgs e) {
   if(e.Column != null) {
      // Don't display the column's caption when using the default painting mechanism.
      e.Info.Caption = "";
      // Changing the background color for sorted columns.
      if(e.Column.SortOrder != DevExpress.Data.ColumnSortOrder.None)
         e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.LemonChiffon;
      // Draws the column header based on the information specified.
      e.Painter.DrawObject(e.Info);
   
      // Draws the column's caption with a shadowed effect.
      // Filtered column captions are drawn in blue.
      Rectangle r = e.Info.CaptionRect;
      StringFormat sf = new StringFormat();
      sf.Trimming = StringTrimming.EllipsisCharacter;
      e.Graphics.DrawString(e.Column.Caption, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Beige, 
          new Rectangle(r.X + 1, r.Y + 1, r.Width, r.Height), sf);
      if(e.Column.FilterInfo.Type == DevExpress.XtraGrid.Columns.ColumnFilterType.None)
         e.Graphics.DrawString(e.Column.Caption, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Black, r, sf);
      else
         e.Graphics.DrawString(e.Column.Caption, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Blue, r, sf);
      // Prevent the custom painting from being overridden.
      e.Handled = true;
   }
}

Imports DevExpress.Utils
'...
Private Sub GridView1_CustomDrawColumnHeader(ByVal sender As Object, _ 
ByVal e As DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.Grid.ColumnHeaderCustomDrawEventArgs) _ 
Handles GridView1.CustomDrawColumnHeader
    If Not e.Column Is Nothing Then
        ' Don't display the column's caption when using the default painting mechanism.
        e.Info.Caption = ""
        ' Changing the background color for sorted columns.
        If Not e.Column.SortOrder = DevExpress.Data.ColumnSortOrder.None Then
            e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.LemonChiffon
        End If
        ' Draws the column header based on the information specified.
        e.Painter.DrawObject(e.Info)

        ' Draws the column's caption with a shadowed effect.
        ' Filtered column captions are drawn in blue.
        Dim r As Rectangle = e.Info.CaptionRect
        Dim sf As StringFormat = New StringFormat()
        sf.Trimming = StringTrimming.EllipsisCharacter
        e.Graphics.DrawString(e.Column.Caption, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Beige, _ 
            New RectangleF(r.X + 1, r.Y + 1, r.Width, r.Height), sf)
        If e.Column.FilterInfo.Type = DevExpress.XtraGrid.Columns.ColumnFilterType.None Then
            e.Graphics.DrawString(e.Column.Caption, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Black, _ 
                New RectangleF(r.X, r.Y, r.Width, r.Height), sf)
        Else
            e.Graphics.DrawString(e.Column.Caption, e.Appearance.Font, Brushes.Blue, _ 
                New RectangleF(r.X, r.Y, r.Width, r.Height), sf)
        End If
        ' Prevent the custom painting from being overridden.
        e.Handled = True
    End If
End Sub

private void gridView1_CustomDrawFooterCell(object sender, 
DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.Grid.FooterCellCustomDrawEventArgs e) {
   if(e.Column.SummaryItem.SummaryType == DevExpress.Data.SummaryItemType.Count)
      e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.AntiqueWhite;
   else {
      if(e.Column.SummaryItem.SummaryType == DevExpress.Data.SummaryItemType.Average)
         e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.PaleGoldenrod;
      else
         e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.DarkSeaGreen;
   }
}

Private Sub GridView1_CustomDrawFooterCell(ByVal sender As Object, _ 
ByVal e As DevExpress.XtraGrid.Views.Grid.FooterCellCustomDrawEventArgs) _ 
Handles GridView1.CustomDrawFooterCell
    If (e.Column.SummaryItem.SummaryType = DevExpress.Data.SummaryItemType.Count) Then
        e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.AntiqueWhite
    Else
        If (e.Column.SummaryItem.SummaryType = DevExpress.Data.SummaryItemType.Average) Then
            e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.PaleGoldenrod
        Else
            e.Appearance.BackColor = Color.DarkSeaGreen
        End If
    End If
End Sub