How to make analogies? How are analogies made in Chinese? Maybe the best way to understand would be by the translation of some examples. So, how would these examples be translated? 


Strong like a bull 
Smart like a fox 
Dumb like a rock 
Funny like a clown 
Fat like a balloon
Brave like a soldier
Kind like a mother
Calm like a monk
Tall like a lamp post
Small like an ant
Ugly like a bat


Is it possible to use 像 in all of the examples? Is it possible to use 像 and 如 interchangeably?
You can translate them as:


力大如牛/像牛一样强壮
像狐狸一样聪明
像石头一样木讷
像小丑一样好玩
胖得像个气球
像军人一样勇敢
像母亲一样善良
像僧人一样冷静
像路灯一样高
像蚂蚁一样


11.像蝙蝠一样丑陋



In most cases, you can use "像". "如" is more literal and formal than "像".
But be careful. Some of the analogies do not make sense in the Chinese cultural context. For example, "bat" is neutral in the Chinese cultural background and does not carry a cultural implication of ugliness so that it does not make sense to say something is ugly like a bat.