drawing straight to an in-code bitmap?

[Desolator144]

I can't seem to figure out how to draw a gradient to a bitmap I created in code. I have the background fading with a crazy bouncing sort of gradient with this code (paste it into a project if U wanna see it )

Dim m_intAntiBlueC1 As Integer = 255
    Dim m_intAntiBlueC2 As Integer = 0
    Dim m_blnC1GoUp As Boolean
 
Dim graphics As Graphics
        graphics = Me.CreateGraphics()
        Dim c1 As Color = Color.FromArgb(m_intAntiBlueC1, m_intAntiBlueC1, 200)
        Dim c2 As Color = Color.FromArgb(m_intAntiBlueC2, m_intAntiBlueC2, 200)
        Dim brush As New Drawing2D.LinearGradientBrush(Me.DisplayRectangle, c1, c2, Drawing2D.LinearGradientMode.ForwardDiagonal)
        graphics.FillRectangle(brush, Me.DisplayRectangle)
[COLOR=Red]        Dim TheBit As New Bitmap(295, 80)
        Dim graphics2 As Graphics[/COLOR]
 
        If m_intAntiBlueC1 = 255 Then
            m_blnC1GoUp = False
        ElseIf m_intAntiBlueC1 = 0 Then
            m_blnC1GoUp = True
        End If
 
        If m_blnC1GoUp Then
            m_intAntiBlueC1 += 1
            m_intAntiBlueC2 -= 1
        Else
            m_intAntiBlueC1 -= 1
            m_intAntiBlueC2 += 1
        End If

I can't seem to create a graphics area from the bitmap itself so I don't know any other way to draw graphics data onto the bitmap. Anyone know how to do it?